And you may have heard in the news yesterday that twenty one new doctors are among twenty nine students to graduate from Flinders University at a ceremony in Darwen on Tuesday. Now, after several years of studies, they'll deliver a much needed boost to the territories medical workforce, going to intern at Royal Darwin Hospital and other health facilities. Now joining us on the line is the university's Dean of Rural and Remote Health, Professor Robin Aitken. Good morning to you, Robin, Good morning Katie.

And you may have heard in the news yesterday that twenty one new doctors are among twenty nine students to graduate from Flinders University at a ceremony in Darwen on Tuesday. Now, after several years of studies, they'll deliver a much needed boost to the territories medical workforce, going to intern at Royal Darwin Hospital and other health facilities. Now joining us on the line is the university's Dean of Rural and Remote Health, Professor Robin Aitken. Good morning to you, Robin, Good morning Katie.

How are you.

How are you.

I'm really good, lovely to have you on the show now, Robin, twenty one new homegrown doctors. Is that one of the largest cohorts that we've.

I'm really good, lovely to have you on the show now, Robin, twenty one new homegrown doctors. Is that one of the largest cohorts that we've.

Seen, Well, it's pretty much the largest cody. We had the largest intake this year and next year. We're expecting thirty six new students who will graduate in four years time, so that'll be increased doctors, local trains into the territory environment and right across all of the regional hospitals, in GP practices and in aboriginal medical control services.

Seen, Well, it's pretty much the largest cody. We had the largest intake this year and next year. We're expecting thirty six new students who will graduate in four years time, so that'll be increased doctors, local trains into the territory environment and right across all of the regional hospitals, in GP practices and in aboriginal medical control services.

Yeah right, so tell us a little bit. I guess about what fields some of those graduates studied and how you know, how I guess they're going to be placed now, well what will happen?

Yeah right, so tell us a little bit. I guess about what fields some of those graduates studied and how you know, how I guess they're going to be placed now, well what will happen?

Yeah, So Katie and all your listeners, these students are part of a cohort each year. It's put through medicine by a very special program that's a collaboration between CDU Flinders, the Northern Territory government and the Commonwealth government. So they're local students who come in. Ninety two percent of them are local. The remaining eight are generally Aboriginal and Torres Strate Island of students from around the country. They study medicine as graduates, so they've already got careers behind them, and they spend time out at each of the regions and in remote communities really focusing on what is territory medicine, So all of those really unique things around working with territory people and working with conditions and health concerns that you don't see anywhere else in the country.

Yeah, So Katie and all your listeners, these students are part of a cohort each year. It's put through medicine by a very special program that's a collaboration between CDU Flinders, the Northern Territory government and the Commonwealth government. So they're local students who come in. Ninety two percent of them are local. The remaining eight are generally Aboriginal and Torres Strate Island of students from around the country. They study medicine as graduates, so they've already got careers behind them, and they spend time out at each of the regions and in remote communities really focusing on what is territory medicine, So all of those really unique things around working with territory people and working with conditions and health concerns that you don't see anywhere else in the country.

Yeah, right, And is the aim them when they are studying you know, you know, they're studying those kind of different health concerns that you experience here in the Northern Territory. Is the aim really to try and keep them here in the Northern territory long term.

Yeah, right, And is the aim them when they are studying you know, you know, they're studying those kind of different health concerns that you experience here in the Northern Territory. Is the aim really to try and keep them here in the Northern territory long term.

Oh absolutely, Katie. So we've got evidence and there's evidence around the country that if you study locally, you're much more likely to stay where you study, so we're one step ahead with that as well. But they also spend the first two years after they've graduated in the territory. There's automatic jobs with the Northern Territory government for them, so that's another really good grounding. And so we have after that two years that they've spent returning their service, fifty four percent of the graduates remain. They generally go away if they want to do specialties, so they can stay in the territory to be a general practitioner, they can stay to study psychiatry, they can stay to study you know, a small number of other professions. But if you want to be a pediatrician, or if you want to do earnos and throat, which we know is really important, we've got to go away. But they come back again. We've got after ten years, we can see that we've got many of those students come back home. So around around sixty percent come back again.

Oh absolutely, Katie. So we've got evidence and there's evidence around the country that if you study locally, you're much more likely to stay where you study, so we're one step ahead with that as well. But they also spend the first two years after they've graduated in the territory. There's automatic jobs with the Northern Territory government for them, so that's another really good grounding. And so we have after that two years that they've spent returning their service, fifty four percent of the graduates remain. They generally go away if they want to do specialties, so they can stay in the territory to be a general practitioner, they can stay to study psychiatry, they can stay to study you know, a small number of other professions. But if you want to be a pediatrician, or if you want to do earnos and throat, which we know is really important, we've got to go away. But they come back again. We've got after ten years, we can see that we've got many of those students come back home. So around around sixty percent come back again.

Well, I mean that is that's a really good thing. And I think that we all know, you know, we want to make sure that we've you know, that we're growing our own So if we're able to do that, particularly in this field, it's it sounds like it's a great way to do it.

Well, I mean that is that's a really good thing. And I think that we all know, you know, we want to make sure that we've you know, that we're growing our own So if we're able to do that, particularly in this field, it's it sounds like it's a great way to do it.

It is indeed. And because they are already territorians, and because it's graduate entry, they've already established their family. You know, many of these students have amain in stories. I think you spoke to a couple yesterday. They have families, they have already embedded in communities, they're already you know, sports people, they're already doing community service. So it's not a hard ask for them to stay there. You know, they want to be doctors, they want to serve their communities, and they get to stay here.

It is indeed. And because they are already territorians, and because it's graduate entry, they've already established their family. You know, many of these students have amain in stories. I think you spoke to a couple yesterday. They have families, they have already embedded in communities, they're already you know, sports people, they're already doing community service. So it's not a hard ask for them to stay there. You know, they want to be doctors, they want to serve their communities, and they get to stay here.

Yeah, Oh that's really good. It's good news. Good news story. How are the enrollments looking for next year?

Yeah, Oh that's really good. It's good news. Good news story. How are the enrollments looking for next year?

So we always have more applicants than enrollments. So we have got our thirty six students. We've actually got a couple of extra because there were a couple of extra CEDYUS students who came in through the undergraduate pathway a couple of years ago. So we'll have thirty eight new students next year, and we also supplement those with students around the country in their final years of medicine. So students who show an interesting Aboriginal interrostate lines are howth in remote health they get an opportunity to come to the territory as well, and we know that they come back after really good experiences too. Well.

So we always have more applicants than enrollments. So we have got our thirty six students. We've actually got a couple of extra because there were a couple of extra CEDYUS students who came in through the undergraduate pathway a couple of years ago. So we'll have thirty eight new students next year, and we also supplement those with students around the country in their final years of medicine. So students who show an interesting Aboriginal interrostate lines are howth in remote health they get an opportunity to come to the territory as well, and we know that they come back after really good experiences too. Well.

Flinda's University Dean of Rural and Remote Health, Professor Robin Aidken, lovely to speak to you this morning. Thanks so much for having a chat with me.

Flinda's University Dean of Rural and Remote Health, Professor Robin Aidken, lovely to speak to you this morning. Thanks so much for having a chat with me.

My pleasure, Katie.

My pleasure, Katie.

Thank you. We'll talk again soon.

Thank you. We'll talk again soon.