Rural initiatives at the James Cook University school of medicine: A vertically integrated regional/rural/remote medical education provider

An overview of the roles and early progress of the new James Cook University School of Medicine is provided, with the aim of keeping rural doctors informed about the continuing development of a successful 'national standards/local collaboration and control' model of education service delivery.

Abstract

Building on the success of the former North Queensland Clinical School/Royal Australian College of General Practitioners collaboration in North Queensland, the James Cook University School of Medicine continues to develop a model of close collaboration with stakeholder groups that provides medical education services to dispersed communities in northern Australia. The flagship themes of the programme (rural & remote, Indigenous and tropical health) are essential to the regional mission to improve the health care of people in northern Australia. Selection processes target regional and rural background students and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. An innovative curriculum design reinforces interest in and relevance to regional health needs. The present paper provides an overview of the roles and early progress of the new School of Medicine, with the aim of keeping rural doctors informed about the continuing development of a successful 'national standards/local collaboration and control' model of education service delivery.