There’s a new med school programme for Rockhampton and Bundaberg

Starting in 2022 up to 40 students a year will do a CQU three-year Bachelor of Medical Science there, as a pathway to a locally taught Uni Queensland four-year MD.

The new programme will be a partnership between CQU, Uni Queensland and the region’s two hospital and health services, Central Queensland and Wide Bay.

Today’s announcement is the result of years of planning and politicing.

Former CQU VC Scott Bowman started pre-op in March 2018 when he and Queensland Health executive Steve Williamson briefed local media on why CQU Rockhampton was a great place for the medical school the region needed, (CMM March 9 2018).

And last year present CQU VC Nick Klomp and the two health services signed an MOU for a “full medical programme” in Bundaberg and Rockhampton by 2022 – in the presumably approving presence of then state health minister Steven Miles (CMM March 22 2019).

And now there will be one.

As to where the training places will come from – Uni Queensland already has a clinical training school in Rockhampton.