JCU expands to Rockhampton

The centre is providing postgraduate General Practice training, an initiative funded by the Australian Government through the Australian General Practice Training program.

Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Division of Services and Resources, Tricia Brand said JCU is excited to have expanded into central Queensland.

Ms Brand said the office is delivering expert medical training.

“James Cook University is opening several administration and training facilities in regional Queensland, including Rockhampton, to provide postgraduate general practice training.

“JCU produces highly skilled graduates and Generalist Medical Training (GMT) is another example of the University providing high quality training for doctors who will serve regional communities.”

In a first for an Australian university, JCU was selected in 2015 to provide training for medical graduates seeking to become specialist general practitioners (GPs). GMT sits within JCU’s College of Medicine and Dentistry.

JCU delivers GP training for the ‘North Western Queensland’ region, an area that makes up 90% of the geographic area of Queensland and covers all of regional Queensland except Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Darling Downs.

The Dean of the College, Professor Richard Murray, said the Rockhampton office is crucial to the delivery of GP training in the Central Queensland region.

“The University has a proud record of achievement in producing a skilled medical workforce for northern Australia, with a particular focus on rural, remote, tropical and Indigenous communities,” Professor Murray said.

GMT is using the Rockhampton location to provide medical education and administrative support to doctors in the Central Queensland region who are undertaking training to be GPs.

“The purpose of having a regional office in Rockhampton is to increase the level of support to these doctors, their supervisors and those involved with Training Practices, who are able to meet with their local Medical Educator, or GMT administration representative for on the ground support”.

“The regional office is also a great opportunity to work collaboratively with local organisations including the Primary Health Network, the University of Queensland, and to support local health professionals such as doctors and nurses to train and work in Central Queensland,” Prof Murray said.

The Rockhampton office is located at 8 Archer Street.

Background:

45 GP Registrars are undertaking training in Central Queensland, and there are 32 Accredited Training Facilities in Central Queensland.

Medical graduates normally undertake three to four years of post-graduate training to be registered as a specialist GP, with either a Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners or a Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine.