Program renewal

Overview

In 2008 the JMP became the first Australian medical program to be run by two universities setting the precedent of expansion of medical education by partnership with an established medical program rather than incurring the cost and complexity of creating a new one.

There is a great deal that is still relevant in the principles laid out by the program's founders and much has been achieved in the last four years. However, there are always aspects of the program that can be improved especially in these times of great change in medical education in Australia and internationally.

The first steps in the renewal process were taken at a Steering Group meeting in Scone on 27 May. Following this meeting, a discussion paper proposing a new curriculum was prepared.

Members of the Steering Group were asked to meet with key internal and external stakeholders in order to ensure an informed and grounded approach to the renewal process. During the period July to September, a number of meetings were held/groups consulted. Individuals and groups were also encouraged to comment by email and several submissions were received. Notes from all meetings and other feedback were made available to Steering Group members in early October.

On Friday 14 October, The Steering Group met to consider the feedback received. In response to this feedback, a revised curriculum was proposed. A summary of the feedback and information on the revised curriculum can be found here.

On Friday 25 November around 50 faculty and school staff, students and conjoints met for a one-day curriculum renewal retreat at 'The Glades', Warners Bay. Retreat attendees were given a background to the renewal process and were asked to discuss, in groups and in plenary, aspects of the proposed curriculum framework and philosophy. There was also discussion of how the curriculum renewal process would be progressed.

There was support for the general direction of the curriculum renewal process and for the revised curriculum framework presented at the retreat. The group agreed to a process moving forward involving the formation of a number of working parties which would develop aspects of the curriculum and report back to a second retreat to be held in March or April 2012.

We welcome your feedback to help us provide an informed and grounded approach to renewal of the JMP. Please email any comments here.