Discipline of Indigenous Health

The main role of the Discipline of Indigenous Health is to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through the Indigenous Medical Entry Program. Staff provide academic support helping students deal with course workload, choose electives and mentoring.The discipline also provides the social and cultural support many students need as a result of leaving their homes to attend university. The discipline is creating opportunities for the students to build this culture among themselves and develop a sense of family within the university environment.

The role of the discipline has evolved to include Indigenous health curriculum development and the way in which that is delivered to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Indigenous medicine is now a specialty in its own right and how it evolves will be partly the result of this delivery.

A powerful aspect of the teaching in the JMP stems from the fact that several of the lecturers are Indigenous enabling students to receive first-hand accounts of the cultural aspects.

The University of Newcastle can proudly claim that it has graduated almost half the national total of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors. There have been 53 graduates and today 21 students are enrolled in the medical program. The JMP dedicates up to 16 places each year for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students across the University of Newcastle and the University of New England.

With a program of academic support through the Discipline of Indigenous Health running alongside social and cultural support from the Wollotuka Institute of Higher Education in Newcastle and the Oorala Centre at UNE, students are well cared for.

For information contact Discipline Head Peter O’Mara

P         (02)  4921 7734
E         peter.omara@newcastle.edu.au