Sydney University has become the first university in Australia to offer the new model to its postgrad medical students.
The father-of-three had to retake a year of his course after the pressures of balancing family life and paying the bills with a degree likened to “drinking from a fire hose” became too demanding.
George Chan A change will provide struggling students with another option. In an Australian first, the University of Sydney will offer its four-year Doctor of Medicine part-time. This flexible option will be available to its third-year students in 2027, with plans to expand the program to other year groups in future. Rather than a typical uni program of tutorials and lectures, postgraduate medical students spend most of their time doing clinical work, which is why introducing flexibility has proved difficult.
Professor Jane Bleasel, the Sydney Medical School’s Head of School and Dean, said the university worked closely with the Westmead Clinical School and the School of Rural Health in Dubbo to re-structure the third-year program, allowing students to complete it over two years rather than one. Bleasel, who has five children, was one of the first doctors in Australia to job-share in the early 1990s.
She says the medical profession has historically been “quite conservative”, but this change aims to further “inclusion and equity of access”. Fourth-year student Mahalia King, who transitioned from a career in youth work and public health, was one of the voices who campaigned for the change, advocating for students with a disability and chronic illness.
King lives with a range of chronic autoimmune conditions, including Crohn’s disease, and struggled to attend specialist appointments and procedures without access to the sick leave that traditional full-time work offers, instead “pushing through” at all costs.
“We’ve long had this view of: You’re not working hard if you’re not burning yourself into the ground, and to be exhausted is a badge of honour,” she says. “I don’t think that’s necessarily the way to create sustainable, well-rounded medical professionals. Maybe it’s time to start looking at things a little bit differently.
” Seniru Mudannayake, the president of the Australian Medical Students’ Association , said the union welcomed the move, but urged Sydney University and others considering the part-time model “to ensure both placement and teaching remain of a high standard”. He hoped the change would remove a “major barrier to entry” for students, particularly those from rural areas or low socioeconomic backgrounds, who are also more likely to work in these underserved communities.
Robertson, who grew up in Alice Springs, plans to become a rural generalist when he graduates, and agrees that flexible study options will greatly benefit those from the regions, who “tend to reach tertiary education a little later in life, they’ve already got things they just can’t walk away from”, such as financial or caring responsibilities. Advertisement “Once you’ve embarked on the journey of parenthood, you don’t get a choice as to when things come up that will demand your time,” he says.
“The extra flexibility that part-time brings will open up the degree to some people who will be very, very good doctors that just through circumstance aren’t currently able to make that shift. ”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Western Australian mum disappointed after flight to Sydney was cancelled, govt funds aviation consumer rights overhaulA 2500+ character article detailing a Western Australian mum's frustration with a cancelled flight to Sydney and the government's funding for an aviation consumer rights overhaul.
Read more »
Scammers posing as Chinese police target international students in SydneyScammers using false police and government official identities to target international students in Sydney for money, losing approximately $800,000 to four victims.
Read more »
Independent Sydney MP Launches Contempt Proceedings Against Mark Latham for Social Media AttackMP Mark Latham has been accused by Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich of scandalising the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) with an online outburst, reportedly calling it 'grossly political and incompetent'. The contempt proceedings are launched following an order to pay Mr Greenwich $100,000 plus costs over a crude tweet in 2023, describing a presumed sexual act of the gay parliamentarian.
Read more »
Sydney Bay Filling Up, Becoming Mudflat in 15 Years: Locals in Sutherland Shire's Oyster BayThe bay, used by locals for boating, fishing, and swimming, has started to become shallow and muddy due to sedimentation caused by sediment buildup. The council had plans to improve stormwater treatment but rejected dredging the bay.
Read more »