http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...243982,00.html

Doctors warn on overseas training
Clara Pirani, Medical reporter
11may05

DOCTORS warned yesterday that a plan by universities to grant medical degrees to overseas students would not address the staff shortages in Australia.

The Australian Medical Council, responsible for accrediting medical school graduates, will meet in July to consider certifying medicine programs run overseas by Australian universities.
The move was prompted by Monash University's plan to set up Australia's first offshore medical school in Malaysia in 2007.

The students, who will be charged $22,000 a year, will graduate with a Monash University degree without etting foot in Australia. Local students pay about $35,000 a year for the same degree.

The University of Sydney is considering establishing a post-graduate medical school in Vietnam.

But Rural Doctors Association of Australia president Sue Page said overseas-trained students would not have the local expertise to practise in Australia.

"The difficulty is we don't just train by the book, we train by clinical experience, and in Australia our disease patterns are quite different from, say, Malaysia and Vietnam," Dr Page said.

At present, overseas-trained doctors must sit a two-part AMC exam to establish eligibility for registration. Once that exam is passed, the doctor receives an AMC registration, which allows them to apply for registration in Australia. They must then complete 12 months of supervised practice before being granted clear registration.

But students completing their degree in Malaysia would automatically be eligible for registration here.

Doctors Reform Society president Tim Woodruff said the plan could rob poorer nations of urgently needed doctors.

"It is of deep concern because it means struggling countries with hardly any health services will be deprived of expertise because it will be easier for students to come to Australia fully qualified," Dr Woodruff said.

But Monash University Dean of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Edward Byrne, said most of the students would remain in Malaysia. "The majority of our students will be Malaysian and will do their internship in Malaysia and remain there," he said.

Australian Medical Association president Bill Glasson said it was only a matter of time before medical degrees were internationally recognised. "Eventually we will have an international exam, like the AMC exam, that you will sit after graduating from whatever university, and if you pass that, it will give you a minimum standard," he said.

"There will still be a certifying process, but perhaps it will be less onerous on the candidate who wants to work in our country."





http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...E12332,00.html

The Australian

Watchdog let off leash
Ebru Yaman
11may05

THE federal Government's higher education quality watchdog, the Australian Universities Quality Agency, will be given extended powers to allow it to monitor the performance of universities operating overseas.

In a clear sign the Government will continue its push towards greater accountability of universities' offshore activities, AUQA will "undertake enhanced auditing of Australian higher education provision overseas" and existing auditing measures of onshore institutions will be extended.
The Australian National University was one surprise winner in a budget that outlined close to $8billion of previously announced initiatives and funding commitments but delivered little in new money to the higher education sector.

ANU will get $16.5 million to increase funding to existing student places at its Institute of Advanced Studies, a measure that will bring the institute into line with other universities.

The University of Western Sydney and James Cook University will receive $25 million and $26million respectively.

In keeping with funding promises made last year, UWS, which has been plagued by financial turmoil, will receive the $25million over three years.

Next year, $7 million will be spent on the development of a medical training facility at its Campbelltown campus to complement the university's new medical school. A new building for teaching at the Parramatta campus will be built for $9million; $7 million will go towards a new library at the Penrith campus and $2 million will be spent on upgrading facilities at the Hawkesbury campus, which specialises in agriculture education.

James Cook University has received a modest boost of $1.1million in new funding over five years for an additional 12 student places at its medical school. The new places are in addition to the Government's pre-election promise of nearly $26million for veterinary science and tropical agriculture for JCU.

A new veterinary science school costing $12million over two years will be built at JCU's Townsville campus. New undergraduate programs in veterinary science and tropical agriculture will receive $13.9 million for 274 places by 2009, kicking off with 50 places per course in 2006.

In line with announcements made in last year's Backing Australia's Ability statement, funding for the Australian Research Council will increase from $481million last year to $556.5million in 2005-06.

The absence of any additional boost in funding for research or research infrastructure will disappoint but not surprise the university sector, which did not expect any new announcements until the Government's review of fresh ways of measuring the quality of research is completed later this year.

Vice-chancellors did not have high hopes for this year's budget after missing out on their main wish - changes to indexation arrangements of funding grants - after an announcement by federal Education Minister Brendan Nelson last month.

Federal departments have fared better: the Department of Education, Science and Training will receive $9.2 million over four years to offset the high costs associated with implementing the Government's complex higher education reform package.

The money allocated to DEST in recognition of the expenses associated with the changes is likely to inflame vice-chancellors, who have complained that universities have not been compensated for compliance costs and have had to absorb the increased administrative expenses into their existing budgets.

Administration of the Student Financial Supplement Scheme loans will be taken over by the Government by the end of the year. The loans are administered by the commonwealth and the change is expected to save the Government $37.4 million over three years.

DEST will receive $1 million over four years and Centrelink will receive $2.8 million during the same period to implement the change.

Opposition education spokeswoman Jenny Macklin criticised the Government's announcement of a 20,000 increase in the number of skilled migrants.

"The chance to train Australian workers now rather than import more skilled workers from overseas has been ignored," Ms Macklin said.

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