Creating change: building the capacity of the medical workforce in Aboriginal health

Abstract

Background: This paper provides an overview of the long-term strategies that have been in place at the University of Western Australia, which aim to build the capacity and preparedness of the health-care workforce in Aboriginal health. In 1996, the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health was established within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences to implement a comprehensive approach to Aboriginal health. Methods: The initial focus was on developing recruitment and retention strategies that meaningfully address the significant under-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the medical and broader health professions. At the same time, the Centre developed, implemented and evaluated a comprehensive vertically and horizontally integrated Aboriginal health curriculum initially in the Medicine course and subsequently in the Podiatry and Nursing courses within the faculty. Results: The priority has been to ensure that all graduates will be better prepared to work effectively and safely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. Without effective alternative entry processes access to tertiary health courses and health careers would not have been an option for the majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and graduates. Conclusion: This paper reflects on the partnerships, structures and approaches that have enabled the achievements to date and on the challenges that confront not only initial implementation but also sustaining the gains already made.

Beyond enrolments: a systematic review exploring the factors affecting the retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health students in the tertiary education system

“…Half ( n = 13) of the studies focused on issues affecting nursing and midwifery students [11, 28, 34, 48–53, 55, 57, 60, 62], five studies focused on medical students [45, 47, 58, 59, 64], three focused on psychology students [43, 56, 63], one study focused on public health students [20], and four studies reported on issues affecting Indigenous students across several health disciplines (courses included: dentistry, health science, human movement, medicine, nursing and midwifery, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and podiatry) [44, 46, 54, 61]. No articles reported specifically on the retention of dental students or any of the other allied health courses (such as social work or physiotherapy) apart from psychology.…”

“…Two articles emphasised the importance of selecting students through a culturally appropriate interview process [60, 64]. The importance of offering multiple pathways into medicine was also stressed [58, 59, 61, 64].…”

Developing an Indigenous Surgical Workforce for Australasia

“…Once at university, students are supported with tutorial and study help during their university courses. This programme currently has 26 students studying medicine, 2 studying dentistry and 12 studying other health sciences …”

Indigenous health in Australia and New Zealand

“…1 The increasing life expectancy and the increasing proportion of elderly patients in trauma centres are well documented. 2 The prevalence of traumatic deaths has rapidly decreased during the last 30 years.…”

“…This programme recognizes that students arriving at UWA may not have the subject prerequisites or study skills to initially manage a medical degree and uses bridging and certificate courses to address this. 1 In contrast, the University of Auckland has concentrated on final year secondary school students and developed an admissions policy that recognizes Maori or Pacific cultural competence. Assessment of the students at entry identifies those who have met requirements to enter formal degree courses and those in whom an initial certificate or bridging course may be appropriate.…”