About the Program
The Joint Medical Program (JMP) is a unique partnership created with the specific aim of addressing the chronic health workforce shortage that exists in remote, rural and regional communities. It delivers a medical program of international standing with early and broad clinical experience and a problem-based learning curriculum.
The JMP partners share a common belief in the fact that medical students who undertake some of their training in rural communities are more likely to practice in those areas on completion of their degree. Offering the highly successful University of Newcastle curriculum through the University of New England as a joint program allows greater opportunity for this to happen. JMP students choose either a metropolitan or rural campus in which to study and benefit from the differences each location offers. Hunter New England Health and Central Coast Health complete the partnership in providing the metropolitan, regional and rural experience that gives our students the expertise they need to practice throughout Australia.
Our program recognises that the best type of learning is practical, so clinical experience begins in the first semester and increases throughout the program. As well as learning in the NSW hospital systems, placements also occur in private institutions, health organisations, individual practitioners and overseas. Some of this experience takes place in community settings which helps students to see the patient as a whole person and in a manner consistent with his/her social and physical environment.
Learning is self directed and problem-based which reflects a doctor’s encounter with a patient’s health problem. Students work in small tutorial groups learning from each other through discussion and team work under a facilitator’s guidance. The working problems encourage learning by experience and allow a student to recognise and resolve gaps in knowledge. This style of learning teaches vital skills for the lifelong commitment to learning a medical career requires and was pioneered by the Newcastle medical program since it began in 1978.
I invite you to find out more with a browse of our website or to contact either of the Schools for more information.
