The Wide Bay region has welcomed its biggest ever cohort of first-year medical students as part of the Regional Medical Pathway (RMP) program.
Pathway collaborators, students, parents and community gathered to celebrate the occasion at the CQUniversity Bundaberg campus on Thursday, 13 March.
The RMP is a collaboration between CQUniversity, The University of Queensland (UQ), and Central Queensland and Wide Bay Hospital and Health Services (CQHHS and WBHHS), offers students the opportunity to complete their entire medical education and training in Bundaberg or Rockhampton.
It is a ground-breaking initiative designed to address healthcare needs in regional Queensland, that continues to exceed expectations this year, with a record 1300 applications and 51 new students enrolled across the Wide Bay and Central Queensland.
Since its establishment in 2021, the RMP has grown rapidly, with the first cohort of students graduating from CQUniversity’s Bachelor of Medical Science (Pathway to Medicine) course in 2024.
Those students have now progressed into UQ’s four-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program, and upon completion of their studies will be offer vocational training places in health care settings throughout the Central Queensland and the Wide Bay regions.
This year, the Bundaberg campus has welcomed 26 new students with six of the cohort coming directly from the region.
In total, around a third of the students enrolled in all years in the pathway are from Central Queensland and Wide Bay.
Strong interest is also coming from metropolitan and interstate applicants eager to pursue rural and remote medical practice.
CQUniversity’s Dean for the School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Professor Andy Stewart said that the program continues to grow thanks to the work of the partner organisations and the positive experiences of past students who are advocates for the Pathway.
“We are thrilled with the growth of the Regional Medical Pathway and the increasing demand from students locally and from across Australia,” Professor Stewart said.
“This pathway provides students with the opportunity to receive a world-class education, but the most important part is the contribution it will have to the long-term sustainability of healthcare services in our regional communities.
“There’s overwhelming evidence that says that if we train doctors and other medical professionals regionally, they are more likely to stay and work in the regions, addressing critical health workforce shortages in rural and remote areas.”
Professor Stewart explained there were more than 130 students currently enrolled in all three years of the CQUniversity pathway.
“If 75 per cent of these students choose to stay in the regions, that’s around 100 additional doctors added to the healthcare workforce in Central Queensland and Wide Bay, making a significant contribution to the regions’ ongoing medical needs.”
Bundaberg local Finn Cohen who has started the course this week, said he was happy to be able to stay in Bundaberg to complete his medical studies.
“Being able to study medicine in Bundaberg is an incredible opportunity not just for me, but for the future of rural healthcare.
“This pathway isn’t just about producing more doctors, it’s about creating leaders in regional medicine, and I’m excited to be part of that.
“ I’ve always known I wanted to make a real impact, and with this program, I can train in the very community I hope to serve. The fact that I don’t have to leave Bundaberg to study medicine and make a difference in the field I’m passionate about is something I’m truly grateful for,” said Finn.
Fellow student Harry Laing, also from Bundaberg, said the Pathway makes it easy for more local students to aspire to a future in medicine.
“Without the delivery of this course in Bundaberg I think some young people would move away or choose to study something else, so that would be a loss for the community.
“I am really happy I could stay in Bundaberg, close to my support networks. I am excited about completing my whole medical course in my home town and becoming a locally trained doctor,” said Harry.
For further information about the Regional Medical Pathway, please visit the RMP information page or the Bachelor of Medical Science (Pathway to Medicine) course page.
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