Partnership a major milestone for the CDU School of Medicine

Charles Darwin University (CDU) is a step closer to establishing a home-grown medical school with a new curriculum partnership with Western Sydney University signed. 

CDU Vice-Chancellor Professor Scott Bowman AO and Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Barney Glover AO signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday in Sydney, giving the CDU School of Medicine access to Western’s School of Medicine curriculum. The partnership also includes curriculum support, guidance, and mentoring. 

Professor Bowman said the partnership would be in place for three years, and provide CDU a learning structure to address the unique health challenges of the NT. 

“We are incredibly grateful to partner with Western Sydney University and have access to their medical school curriculum, as well as their support and expertise as we finalise and launch our own,” Professor Bowman said. 

“Western Sydney University’s School of Medicine has demonstrated the impact a medical program can have when it is offered in a regional setting, and this is the perfect partnership that will bring us a step closer to a medical school in the NT and being able to train local health professionals.”

The CDU School of Medicine team has begun to contextualise the Western Sydney University curriculum for the specific needs of the Northern Territory’s population. 

Professor Glover said Western Sydney University was proud to collaborate with CDU to establish a strong and robust curriculum for the CDU School of Medicine. The program will strengthen medical education, training, and research for the benefit of regional and remote communities in the Northern Territory. 

“The provision of high-quality training for medical students in a regional setting greatly contributes to the development of a skilled and engaged local workforce, a commitment we share with CDU and the Menzies School of Health Research,” Professor Glover said.

In December the CDU School of Medicine received $2.8 million from the Australian Government to support development work towards an application for accreditation.