In Australia, professional entry level medical education is provided by university medical schools accredited by the Australian Medical Council. There are 18 universities with accredited medical schools in Australia, and a number of these were established in the last nine years. All of these universities have now produced graduates.
In the past, most medical doctors gained their professional entry level qualification by completing a five or six-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. However, over the years an increasing number of four-year (graduate entry) programs have been introduced.
To date, these medical school programs resulted in a bachelor degree qualification. Most recently, a number of medical schools have moved to a Doctor of Medicine program, resulting in graduates with a master level qualification. The first of these is the University of Melbourne which commenced this program in 2011 and is expected to have the first cohort of master graduates in 2014.
Current programs integrate pre-clinical and clinical components throughout the program and incorporate clinical experience from early in the course. However, the most significant clinical exposure occurs in the latter years of the program.
Medical students gain clinical exposure in a range of clinical settings and via simulation. Throughout their professional entry level medical program they are provided with the skills, knowledge and attributes to move to the next phase of their training, which is the prevocational phase (prior to specialty training).
Current Data
In 2013, there were 16,994 medical students studying in Australian universities (Table 2.1). Of these 4,687 (27.6%) were undertaking a six-year course, 4,502 (26.5%) were undertaking a five-year course and 7,805 (45.9%) were undertaking a four-year course.
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UG – undergraduate (a) Undergraduate program last intake in 2008. Graduate program last intake in 2009. Masters program commenced in 2011. Source: Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand Inc | |||||||
6-year course | |||||||
Adelaide | 159 | 189 | 172 | 171 | 189 | 152 | 1,032 |
James Cook | 235 | 196 | 184 | 196 | 163 | 138 | 1,112 |
Melbourne UG(a) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 239 | 246 |
UNSW | 273 | 278 | 250 | 285 | 286 | 275 | 1,647 |
UWA UG | 0 | 0 | 152 | 179 | 165 | 154 | 650 |
Subtotal | 667 | 663 | 758 | 838 | 803 | 958 | 4,687 |
5-year course | |||||||
Bond(b) | 96 | 94 | 79 | 82 | 85 | .. | 436 |
Melbourne PG(a)(b) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 91 | .. | 97 |
Monash UG | 321 | 310 | 305 | 283 | 295 | .. | 1,514 |
Newcastle/UNE | 218 | 197 | 207 | 224 | 173 | .. | 1,019 |
Tasmania | 120 | 105 | 112 | 114 | 119 | .. | 570 |
UWA PG(b) | 0 | 67 | 60 | 58 | 58 | .. | 243 |
UWS | 120 | 130 | 122 | 137 | 114 | .. | 623 |
Subtotal | 875 | 903 | 888 | 901 | 935 | .. | 4,502 |
4-year course | |||||||
ANU | 100 | 84 | 101 | 92 | .. | .. | 377 |
Deakin | 136 | 138 | 133 | 149 | .. | .. | 556 |
Flinders | 168 | 163 | 141 | 122 | .. | .. | 594 |
Griffith | 158 | 149 | 147 | 153 | .. | .. | 607 |
Melbourne MD(a) | 330 | 324 | 325 | .. | .. | .. | 979 |
Monash PG | 82 | 91 | 83 | 70 | .. | .. | 326 |
Notre Dame Sydney | 121 | 115 | 107 | 108 | .. | .. | 451 |
Notre Dame Fremantle | 111 | 98 | 96 | 98 | .. | .. | 403 |
Queensland(c) | 421 | 440 | 428 | 439 | .. | .. | 1,728 |
UQ Ochsner (USA)(c) | 105 | 76 | 36 | 24 | .. | .. | 241 |
Sydney | 310 | 290 | 322 | 291 | .. | .. | 1,213 |
Wollongong | 85 | 83 | 82 | 80 | .. | .. | 330 |
Subtotal | 2,127 | 2,051 | 2,001 | 1,626 | .. | .. | 7,805 |
Total | 3,669 | 3,617 | 3,647 | 3,365 | 1,738 | 958 | 16,994 |
In 2013, 14,267 or 84.0% of all students were domestic students (Table 2.2). A domestic student is defined as being an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or an Australian permanent resident. Of these 3,857 (27.0%) were undertaking a six-year course, 3,872 (27.1%) were undertaking a five-year course and 6,538 (45.8%) were undertaking a four-year course.
![]() | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UG – undergraduate (a) Undergraduate program last intake in 2008. Graduate program last intake in 2009. Masters program commenced in 2011. Source: Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand Inc | |||||||
6-year course | |||||||
Adelaide | 124 | 164 | 157 | 150 | 153 | 127 | 875 |
James Cook | 201 | 173 | 167 | 169 | 141 | 136 | 987 |
Melbourne UG(a) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 166 | 172 |
UNSW | 214 | 216 | 187 | 225 | 232 | 212 | 1,286 |
UWA UG | 0 | 0 | 130 | 147 | 134 | 126 | 537 |
Subtotal | 539 | 553 | 641 | 697 | 660 | 767 | 3,857 |
5-year course | |||||||
Bond(b) | 95 | 94 | 77 | 80 | 83 | .. | 429 |
Melbourne PG(a)(b) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 77 | .. | 83 |
Monash UG | 263 | 247 | 252 | 235 | 237 | .. | 1,234 |
Newcastle/UNE | 192 | 179 | 178 | 186 | 151 | .. | 886 |
Tasmania | 100 | 85 | 89 | 88 | 105 | .. | 467 |
UWA PG(b) | 0 | 58 | 60 | 58 | 58 | .. | 234 |
UWS | 103 | 107 | 108 | 114 | 107 | .. | 539 |
Subtotal | 753 | 770 | 767 | 764 | 818 | .. | 3,872 |
4-year course | |||||||
ANU | 98 | 81 | 92 | 84 | .. | .. | 355 |
Deakin | 131 | 132 | 131 | 144 | .. | .. | 538 |
Flinders | 143 | 143 | 121 | 111 | .. | .. | 518 |
Griffith | 152 | 149 | 147 | 153 | .. | .. | 601 |
Melbourne MD(a) | 294 | 288 | 302 | 0 | .. | .. | 884 |
Monash PG | 75 | 82 | 68 | 64 | .. | .. | 289 |
Notre Dame Sydney | 121 | 115 | 107 | 108 | .. | .. | 451 |
Notre Dame Fremantle | 111 | 98 | 96 | 98 | .. | .. | 403 |
Queensland | 308 | 308 | 320 | 313 | .. | .. | 1,249 |
Sydney | 232 | 220 | 264 | 237 | .. | .. | 953 |
Wollongong | 76 | 74 | 75 | 72 | .. | .. | 297 |
Subtotal | 1,741 | 1,690 | 1,723 | 1,384 | .. | .. | 6,538 |
Total | 3,033 | 3,013 | 3,131 | 2,845 | 1,478 | 767 | 14,267 |
Types of Student Places
A student undertaking medical studies in Australia may occupy either:
- a Commonwealth-supported university place (CSP), where the student is required to pay for only part of the cost of his or her degree through HECS; or
- a full fee-paying place, which is funded entirely by the tuition fees paid by the student.
Some medical students occupying Commonwealth-supported university places are participating in the Bonded Medical Places Scheme (BMPS) or have received scholarships through the MRBSS, which commenced in 2004 and 2001 respectively.
Students participating in the BMPS have a return of service obligation to work in a DWS as identified by the Commonwealth, for a period of time equal to the length of the medical degree. However, up to half of the return of service obligation can be met while completing prevocational and vocational training.
Recipients of the Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship Scheme (MRBSS) scholarship are required to work for six continuous years in locations within Australian Standard Geographical Classification – Remoteness Areas (ASGC-RA) 2 to 5. MRBSS doctors start their six year commitment to work in rural Australia after completing their vocational training.
Over three-quarters of all university places each year are Commonwealth-supported. In 2013, there were 13,315 Commonwealth-supported places or 78.4% of all places (Table 2.3). For commencing students the proportion is almost the same. Of the 3,669 commencing medical students in 2013, 2,792 students or 75.3% were in Commonwealth-supported places (Table 2.4).
Just over one-fifth (21.2%) of all medical students were fee-paying in 2013. Three-quarters of full fee-paying places are occupied by international students and this number is similar among commencing students (75.2%, Table 2.4) and all medical students (75.8%, Table 2.3).
Table 2.3 provides detailed information on the number and types of places available at each university in 2013, with Table 2.4 displaying this for commencing students. Table 2.5 provides further information on whether it was a Commonwealth-supported or fee-paying place.
![]() | Commonwealth-supported places | Fee-paying places | Other(a) | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Domestic | International | ||||
UG – undergraduate (a) Includes medical students on state health department bonded medical scholarships. Source: Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand Inc | |||||
Adelaide | 870 | 5 | 157 | 0 | 1,032 |
ANU | 355 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 377 |
Bond | 0 | 429 | 7 | 0 | 436 |
Deakin | 538 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 556 |
Flinders | 441 | 0 | 76 | 77 | 594 |
Griffith | 598 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 607 |
James Cook | 983 | 4 | 125 | 0 | 1,112 |
Melbourne MD | 754 | 130 | 95 | 0 | 979 |
Melbourne PG | 83 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 97 |
Melbourne UG | 163 | 9 | 74 | 0 | 246 |
Monash PG | 287 | 2 | 37 | 0 | 326 |
Monash UG | 1,229 | 5 | 280 | 0 | 1,514 |
Newcastle/UNE | 884 | 2 | 133 | 0 | 1,019 |
Notre Dame Sydney | 260 | 191 | 0 | 0 | 451 |
Notre Dame Fremantle | 399 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 403 |
Queensland | 1,219 | 30 | 479 | 0 | 1,728 |
UQ Ochsner (USA) | .. | .. | 241 | .. | 241 |
Sydney | 931 | 21 | 260 | 1 | 1,213 |
Tasmania | 467 | 0 | 103 | 0 | 570 |
UNSW | 1,256 | 30 | 361 | 0 | 1,647 |
UWA PG | 234 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 243 |
UWA UG | 537 | 0 | 113 | 0 | 650 |
UWS | 530 | 9 | 84 | 0 | 623 |
Wollongong | 297 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 330 |
Total | 13,315 | 871 | 2,727 | 81 | 16,994 |
![]() | Commonwealth-supported places | Fee-paying places | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Domestic | International | Other(b) | Total | ||
UG – undergraduate (a) The University of Western Australia is in the process of converting its medical degree from a 6 year undergraduate MBBS degree to a 4 year MD degree. First year enrolment for the MD program will commence in 2014. Source: Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand Inc | |||||
Adelaide | 124 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 159 |
ANU | 98 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100 |
Bond | 0 | 95 | 1 | 0 | 96 |
Deakin | 131 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 136 |
Flinders | 112 | 0 | 25 | 31 | 168 |
Griffith | 152 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 158 |
James Cook | 201 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 235 |
Melbourne MD | 253 | 41 | 36 | 0 | 330 |
Melbourne PG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Melbourne UG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Monash PG | 75 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 82 |
Monash UG | 263 | 0 | 58 | 0 | 321 |
Newcastle/UNE | 192 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 218 |
Notre Dame Sydney | 57 | 64 | 0 | 0 | 121 |
Notre Dame Fremantle | 107 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 111 |
Queensland | 305 | 3 | 218 | 0 | 526 |
Sydney | 229 | 3 | 78 | 0 | 310 |
Tasmania | 100 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 120 |
UNSW | 214 | 0 | 59 | 0 | 273 |
UWA PG(a) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
UWA UG(a) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Western Sydney | 103 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 120 |
Wollongong | 76 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 85 |
Total | 2,792 | 210 | 636 | 31 | 3,669 |
In 2013, the majority of Commonwealth-supported students occupied HECS only places (9,621 places or 72.3% of Commonwealth-supported places), whereas 3,694 or 27.7% of Commonwealth-supported students have a return of service obligation under either the MRBSS or BMPS, in addition to contributing to the cost of their education under HECS (Table 2.5).
Ten years after the commencement of the BMPS, there were 3,278 students in BMPS places. This was a slight decrease from 2012 (4 students). However, from 2009 to 2013 the number of students supported through this scheme had increased by 999 places or 43.8% (Table 2.5).
The number of students in the MRBSS also decreased from 2012 (53 students or 11.3%). However the number of students in MRBSS places remained relatively constant since 2009, ranging between 481.5 students in 2009 and 416 students in 2013. The number of MRBSS students as a proportion of all student places decreased from 3.3% in 2009 to 2.5% in 2013, while the number of BMPS students as a proportion of all students increased from 15.7% in 2009 to 19.3% in 2013.
The proportion of domestic fee-paying students has been in steady decline since 2009 (6.5% of all students in 2009, to 4.7% of all students in 2012). But the proportion of domestic fee-paying students increased in 2013 (5.1% of all students in 2013). The absolute number of international fee-paying students has increased but the proportion has fluctuated, starting at 16.7% in 2009. By 2013 (as in 2012), international fee-paying students comprised 16.0% of all medical students.
![]() | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(a) International students are those studying as private or sponsored students who are not Australian citizens, permanent residents or New Zealand citizens. Source: Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand Inc | |||||
Medical students | |||||
Commonwealth-supported | 10,938 | 11,873 | 13,016 | 13,289 | 13,315 |
HECS only | (c)8,177.5 | 8,707 | 9,435 | 9,538 | 9,621 |
BMPS | 2,279 | 2,686 | 3,122 | 3,282 | 3,278 |
MRBSS | (c)481.5 | 480 | 459 | 469 | 416 |
Fee-paying | 3,373 | 3,356 | 3,364 | 3,492 | 3,598 |
Domestic | 949 | 905 | 829 | 801 | 871 |
International(a) | 2,424 | 2,451 | 2,535 | 2,691 | 2,727 |
Other(b) | 210 | 231 | 111 | 87 | 81 |
Total | 14,521 | 15,460 | 16,491 | 16,868 | 16,994 |
Proportion of places (%) | |||||
Commonwealth-supported | 75.3 | 76.8 | 78.9 | 78.8 | 78.4 |
HECS only | 56.3 | 56.3 | 57.2 | 56.5 | 56.6 |
BMPS | 15.7 | 17.4 | 18.9 | 19.5 | 19.3 |
MRBSS | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
Fee-paying | 23.2 | 21.7 | 20.4 | 20.7 | 21.2 |
Domestic | 6.5 | 5.9 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 5.1 |
International(a) | 16.7 | 15.9 | 15.4 | 16.0 | 16.0 |
Other(b) | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
Scholarships
Students can receive scholarships through a variety of sources. Data was collected through the MSOD project from 3,471 medical students (94.2% of the total 3,686) commencing their studies in 2012. Of these, 366 (10.5%) stated that they received a scholarship to support them in their medical studies (Table 2.6).
![]() | Students | Proportion (%) |
---|---|---|
Source: Medical Schools Outcomes Database | ||
Commonwealth scholarships | 124 | 33.9 |
State scholarships | 11 | 3.0 |
Scholarships provided by Australian universities | 180 | 49.2 |
Scholarships provided by home country to international students | 37 | 10.1 |
Scholarships provided by other institutions | 12 | 3.3 |
Unnamed | 2 | 0.5 |
Total | 366 | 100.0 |
Student Characteristics
Data from MSOD provides insights into who is undertaking medical studies. Data are recorded for the 3,471 students (94.2% of the total 3,686) who completed the MSOD entry requirements in 2012.
Just over four-fifths (81.1%) of students commencing their medical studies in 2012 were under the age of 25 years (Table 2.7).
Age group | Male | Female | Proportion female (%) | Total | Proportion of total (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Source: Medical Schools Outcomes Database | |||||
Less than 20 years | 642 | 659 | 50.7 | 1,301 | 37.5 |
20-24 years | 775 | 740 | 48.8 | 1,515 | 43.6 |
25-29 years | 239 | 197 | 45.2 | 436 | 12.6 |
30-34 years | 71 | 56 | 44.1 | 127 | 3.7 |
35-39 years | 26 | 24 | 48.0 | 50 | 1.4 |
40 years and over | 17 | 24 | 58.5 | 41 | 1.2 |
Unknown | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Total | 1,771 | 1,700 | 49.0 | 3,471 | 100.0 |
Just over half (56.7%) of the medical students commencing in 2012 began their studies after finishing another degree, with 83.8% of these having completed a tertiary qualification in science, medical science and health and/or allied health (Table 2.8).
The majority (94.8%) of these students entered a graduate program. Just over three quarters (76.4%) had bachelor degrees, 14.4% had completed honours, graduate diploma or certificate and 9.2% of these students had a masters or doctorate (Table 2.9).
Discipline of prior degree | Undergraduate entry | Graduate entry | Total |
---|---|---|---|
(a) B.Sci, B Applied Sci (no or unclear major), Vet Sci, Liberal Arts, B Sci in Human Movement, biotechnology, human kinetics, exercise science and psychology. Source: Medical Schools Outcomes Database | |||
Science(a) | 26 | 674 | 700 |
Medical Science(b) | 14 | 527 | 541 |
Health/Allied Health(c) | 34 | 363 | 397 |
Humanities | 11 | 134 | 145 |
Commerce/Business/Law | 7 | 79 | 86 |
Physical sciences(d) | 7 | 64 | 71 |
Other/Unknown | 3 | 26 | 29 |
Total | 102 | 1,867 | 1,969 |
Level of prior degree | Undergraduate entry | Proportion undergraduate (%) | Graduate entry | Proportion postgraduate (%) | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(a) Based on all individuals who reported previous qualifications. Source: Medical Schools Outcomes Database | |||||
PhD | 0 | 0 | 44 | 2.4 | 44 |
Masters | 17 | 16.7 | 128 | 6.9 | 145 |
Graduate Diploma/Certificate | 9 | 8.8 | 55 | 2.9 | 64 |
Honours | 7 | 6.9 | 213 | 11.4 | 220 |
Bachelor | 65 | 63.7 | 1,426 | 76.4 | 1,491 |
Associate Degree | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 | 1 |
Other/unknown | 4 | 3.9 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Total | 102 | 100.0 | 1,867 | 100.0 | 1,969 |
Table 2.10 and Table 2.11 provide information on the preferred type of medical practice as reported in the MSOD questionnaire by students in their final year of a medical degree and by PGY1 trainees. The same specialties ranked as the top three first-preference choices for each gender in both the final year of medical degree and the first postgraduate year.
The most popular preferred types of medical practice among males were surgery and adult medicine, followed by general practice (295, 205 and 127 respectively in final year of medical degree and 185, 173, and 107 in PGY1). Females noted general practice, adult medicine and paediatrics and child health most often as their first preference for type of medical practice (244, 240 and 187 respectively in final year of medical degree and 230, 189 and 114 in PGY1).
Specialty | Preference 1 | Preference 2 | Preference 3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |
(a) Data were collected from 2,519 medical students in their final year who answered the MSOD questionnaire. Source: Medical Schools Outcomes Database | ||||||
Addiction medicine | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
Adult medicine/internal medicine | 205 | 240 | 102 | 120 | 103 | 110 |
Anaesthesia | 112 | 101 | 98 | 78 | 83 | 64 |
Dermatology | 12 | 36 | 12 | 23 | 8 | 22 |
Emergency medicine | 105 | 106 | 128 | 101 | 92 | 106 |
General practice | 127 | 244 | 75 | 145 | 103 | 127 |
Indigenous health | 1 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 18 |
Intensive care medicine | 35 | 20 | 78 | 53 | 73 | 46 |
Medical administration (e.g. managing a hospital) | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 13 |
Non-specialist hospital practice (e.g. career as a medical officer in a hospital) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
Obstetrics and gynaecology | 32 | 138 | 24 | 97 | 25 | 54 |
Occupational and environmental medicine | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Ophthalmology | 26 | 25 | 20 | 17 | 9 | 13 |
Oral and maxillofacial surgery | 9 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Paediatrics and child health | 69 | 187 | 66 | 100 | 37 | 76 |
Pain medicine | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
Palliative medicine | 1 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 7 | 26 |
Pathology | 7 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 11 |
Psychiatry | 34 | 34 | 20 | 32 | 28 | 45 |
Public health medicine | 0 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 21 |
Radiology | 33 | 20 | 34 | 16 | 30 | 15 |
Rehabilitation medicine | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
Rural and remote medicine | 19 | 37 | 18 | 26 | 24 | 32 |
Sexual health medicine | 2 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 7 | 19 |
Surgery | 295 | 141 | 77 | 43 | 60 | 35 |
Other | 13 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
Specialty | Preference 1 | Preference 2 | Preference 3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |
(a) Data collected from 2,519 medical students in their final year who answered the MSOD questionnaire. Source: Medical Schools Outcomes Database | ||||||
Addiction medicine | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Adult medicine/internal medicine | 173 | 189 | 61 | 79 | 53 | 76 |
Anaesthesia | 83 | 72 | 58 | 49 | 51 | 43 |
Dermatology | 11 | 17 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 12 |
Emergency medicine | 38 | 67 | 49 | 63 | 71 | 58 |
General practice | 107 | 230 | 74 | 113 | 87 | 98 |
Indigenous health | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 10 |
Intensive care medicine | 17 | 22 | 64 | 54 | 43 | 36 |
Medical administration (e.g. managing a hospital) | 5 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 9 |
Non-specialist hospital practice (e.g. career as a medical officer in a hospital) | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 6 |
Obstetrics and gynaecology | 14 | 71 | 8 | 44 | 7 | 33 |
Occupational and environmental medicine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Ophthalmology | 25 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
Oral and maxillofacial surgery | 6 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Paediatrics and child health | 30 | 114 | 17 | 45 | 11 | 39 |
Pain medicine | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Palliative medicine | 1 | 6 | 11 | 22 | 17 | 24 |
Pathology | 5 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
Psychiatry | 22 | 35 | 9 | 14 | 9 | 13 |
Public health medicine | 1 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 23 |
Radiology | 39 | 12 | 32 | 14 | 27 | 16 |
Rehabilitation medicine | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
Rural and remote medicine | 22 | 29 | 11 | 19 | 12 | 23 |
Sexual health medicine | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
Surgery | 185 | 92 | 50 | 28 | 21 | 22 |
Other | 14 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 5 |
In 2012, a total of 625 of the 3,471 medical students completing the MSOD entry questionnaire reported that they held temporary or other entry permits to Australia (Table 2.12). The highest numbers of international students came from Singapore (22.1%), Canada (19.7%), Malaysia (15.8%) and United States of America (13.6%).
Country of birth | Students | Proportion (%) |
---|---|---|
Source: Medical Schools Outcomes Database | ||
Singapore | 138 | 22.1 |
Canada | 123 | 19.7 |
Malaysia | 99 | 15.8 |
United States of America | 85 | 13.6 |
Hong Kong (SAR of China) | 24 | 3.8 |
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) | 19 | 3.0 |
Korea, Republic of (South) | 19 | 3.0 |
Sri Lanka | 15 | 2.4 |
Indonesia | 12 | 1.9 |
All other (where n≤10) | 91 | 14.6 |
Total | 625 | 100.0 |
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Students
Data on the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people(s) status of medical students is available from two sources, MDANZ Student Statistical Collection and the MSOD. Data from these two sources cannot necessarily be reconciled, so both are presented below as each provides different insights into the number of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people(s) studying medicine.
The number and proportion of medical students reporting that they are of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin when completing the MSOD entry questionnaire have risen slightly over the years from 37 or 1.2% of commencing students in 2008, to 48 or 1.4% in 2012 (Table 2.13).
2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Source: Medical Schools Outcomes Database | |||||
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students | 37 | 38 | 47 | 69 | 48 |
Non Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students | 3,180 | 3,113 | 3,064 | 3,483 | 3,403 |
Unknown | 18 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 20 |
Total | 3,235 | 3,161 | 3,115 | 3,562 | 3,471 |
Proportion of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students (%) | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 1.4 |
Data from the MDANZ shows that there have been significant increases each year in the overall number of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people(s) studying medicine. In 2013, there was a total of 261 medical students studying in Australian universities who reported being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin (Table 2.14), an increase of 163.6% over the eight years from 2006. No data are available for the actual attrition rate, which is known to be higher than for non Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students, or on the number of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students who go on to complete their medical degrees.
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Source: Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand Inc | ||||||||
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students | 99 | 125 | 129 | 137 | 161 | 218 | 226 | 261 |
Annual increase (%) | 26.3 | 3.2 | 6.2 | 17.5 | 35.4 | 3.7 | 15.5 |
Rural Exposure
Exposure to rural and remote settings, whether through living, schooling and/or undertaking medical studies or training there, is shown to have a positive impact on the likelihood of medical professionals practising in rural and remote areas.
The Rural Clinical Training and Support (RCTS) program provides funding to participating universities for the establishment and support of medical student training in rural areas, and supports 17 rural clinical schools nationally. The RCTS program aims to improve the range of rural health care services and strengthen the health workforce in rural communities across Australia.
Participating Australian medical schools are required to meet a range of objectives set out in the program parameters, including:
- providing at least 4 weeks rural training for all medical students;
- having at least 25% of their medical students undertake at least one year of clinical training in a rural area;
- providing high-quality training of medical students in rural and remote areas;
- having at least 25% of their yearly student intake of rural origin;
- maintaining and enhancing measures to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical student graduates; and
- facilitating an increase in rural health and workforce research, rural health advocacy and a raised awareness of rural and remote health issues.
The RCTS is a component initiative of the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) program, which also supports 11 University Departments of Rural Health, six dental schools that offer rural dental placements and the John Flynn Placement Program.
Data on students who have a rural background are collected by medical schools. In 2013, 769 or 27.1% of commencing domestic students reported that they had lived in a rural or remote area prior to commencing their medical studies (this is in line with the proportion of 27% in 2012). A slightly higher proportion (29.9%) of students from universities participating in the Rural Clinical Training and Support Program reported a rural background compared to all commencing domestic students (Table 2.15).
The proportion of domestic students with a rural background was roughly one quarter in each state and territory.
University | Males | Females | Total | Proportion of all domestic students with a rural background (%) | Rural Clinical Training and Support Program(i): Proportion students with a rural background (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UG – undergraduate (a) Rural background is based on residency from the commencement of primary school in an area classified as RA2 to RA5 under the Australian Standard Geographical Classification - Remoteness Areas (ASGC-RA) system. Source: Australian Government Department of Health and Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand Inc | |||||
New South Wales | |||||
Newcastle/UNE | 33 | 21 | 54 | 28.1 | 28.1 |
Notre Dame Sydney | 8 | 14 | 22 | (h)18.2 | (j)29.6 |
Sydney | 29 | 29 | 58 | 25.0 | 26.0 |
UNSW(b) | 28 | 29 | 57 | 26.6 | 25.4 |
UWS(c) | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Wollongong | 23 | 28 | 51 | 67.1 | 67.1 |
Total NSW | 121 | 121 | 242 | 29.0 | 30.6 |
Victoria | |||||
Deakin | 15 | 21 | 36 | 27.5 | 27.5 |
Melbourne MD | 31 | 36 | 67 | 22.8 | 27.3 |
Monash PG | 8 | 13 | 21 | 28.0 | .. |
Monash UG | 34 | 39 | 73 | 27.8 | (k)26.8 |
Total Vic | 88 | 109 | 197 | 25.8 | 27.1 |
Queensland | |||||
Bond(d) | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Griffith(e) | 6 | 3 | 9 | 5.9 | .. |
Queensland | 39 | 37 | 76 | 24.7 | 24.4 |
James Cook | 27 | 81 | 108 | 53.7 | 51.7 |
Total Qld | 72 | 121 | 193 | 29.2 | 35.3 |
Western Australia | |||||
Notre Dame WA | 8 | 20 | 28 | 25.2 | .. |
UWA PG(f) | 0 | 0 | 0 | .. | .. |
Total WA | 8 | 20 | 28 | 25.2 | .. |
South Australia | |||||
Adelaide | 9 | 16 | 25 | 20.2 | 21.7 |
Flinders | 12 | 19 | 31 | 21.7 | 28.8 |
Total SA | 21 | 35 | 56 | 21.0 | 25.2 |
Tasmania | |||||
Tasmania | 13 | 18 | 31 | 31.0 | 31.0 |
Australian Capital Territory | |||||
ANU | 8 | 14 | 22 | 22.7 | 25.6 |
Total | 331 | 438 | (g)769 | 27.1 | 29.9 |
Trends
The number of commencing medical students increased each year from 2009 to 2011 (328 more commencements in 2011 compared to 2009), but decreased in both 2012 (84 students) and 2013 (17 students). The zero intake for the University of Western Australia in 2012 affected the trend of commencing medical students, with 2012 the first year to show a decline in numbers, as the university transitions from a four-year program to a six-year program. Overall commencing medical students increased by 6.6% overall, from 3,442 in 2009 to 3,669 in 2013 (Table 2.16).
Over the same period, the number of domestic commencing students increased by 78 students or 2.6%, while the number of international commencing students increased by 149 students or 30.6%.
The proportion of female domestic students commencing medical studies remained relatively stable over the last five years – around half of all commencing medical students. However, the proportion of female international students was slightly less than half of all commencing international students.
2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(a) Based on the commencing year of the graduate course. Source: Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand Inc | |||||
Domestic | 2,955 | 2,940 | 3,241 | 3,035 | 3,033 |
Proportion female (%) | 54.8 | 52.9 | 50.9 | 48.1 | 51.2 |
International(b)(c) | 487 | 529 | 529 | 651 | 636 |
Proportion female (%) | 47.0 | 42.5 | 47.6 | 47.5 | 45.6 |
Total | 3,442 | 3,469 | 3,770 | 3,686 | 3,669 |
Projections suggest that 3,851 medical students will commence their studies in Australian universities in 2014 (Table 2.17). Of these 3,131 (81.3%) are expected to be domestic students and 720 (18.7%) international students. This is slightly more (by 182 students or 5.0%) than the actual number who commenced studies in 2013. It is worth noting that the University of Western Australia did not enrol any commencing students in 2013.
University | Domestic | International | Total |
---|---|---|---|
(a) These numbers are projections only and are subject to change. Source: Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand Inc | |||
Adelaide | 124 | 35 | 159 |
ANU | 90 | 10 | 100 |
Bond | 95 | 1 | 96 |
Deakin | 130 | 12 | 142 |
Flinders | 136 | 30 | 166 |
Griffith | 154 | 8 | 162 |
James Cook | 175 | 30 | 205 |
Melbourne | 295 | 45 | 340 |
Monash | 319 | 66 | 385 |
Newcastle/UNE | 170 | 24 | 194 |
Notre Dame Sydney | 120 | - | 120 |
Notre Dame Fremantle | 106 | - | 106 |
Queensland | 300 | 120 | 420 |
UQ Ochsner (USA) | .. | 110 | 110 |
Sydney | 228 | 80 | 308 |
Tasmania | 95 | 20 | 115 |
UNSW | 208 | 67 | 275 |
UWA | 209 | 30 | 239 |
Western Sydney | 102 | 20 | 122 |
Wollongong | 75 | 12 | 87 |
Total | 3,131 | 720 | 3,851 |
Between 2009 and 2013, there was an increase of 2,473 students or 17.0% of the total number of medical students studying in Australian universities (Table 2.18). Over the same period, the number of domestic students increased proportionally more than the number of international students, rising by 17.9% to 14,267 students. The number of international students increased by only 12.5% to 2,727.
2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(a) Data covers all years of study. Source: Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand Inc | |||||
Domestic | 12,097 | 12,946 | 13,956 | 14,177 | 14,267 |
Proportion female (%) | 54.6 | 54.2 | 53.0 | 51.5 | 51.2 |
Annual increase (%) | 9.7 | 7.0 | 7.8 | 1.6 | 0.6 |
International(b)(c) | 2,424 | 2,451 | 2,535 | 2,691 | 2,727 |
Proportion female (%) | 51.4 | 50.1 | 49.1 | 48.7 | 47.3 |
Annual increase (%) | 5.0 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 6.2 | 1.3 |
Total | 14,521 | 15,397 | 16,491 | 16,868 | 16,994 |
Annual increase | 876 | 1,094 | 377 | 126 | |
Annual increase (%) | 6.0 | 7.1 | 2.3 | 0.7 |