The Rockhampton Hospital has been officially recognised as a UQ teaching hospital at a plaque unveiling ceremony at the hospital this week.
Head of The University of Queensland’s School of Medicine Professor Ken Donald presented the plaque to hospital District Manageer Kevin Hegarty. The ceremony was attended by key hospital and university representatives.
Professor Donald said the ceremony recognised the important role of the Rockhampton hospital in providing medical training in a regional setting.
“This event symbolized the strengthening of links between UQ and Rockhampton Hospital and our partnership in working for the continuous improvement of the Australian healthcare system,” he said.
“Experience has shown that students who spend the whole or most of their last two years of training in properly supported rural or regional practices can learn, in some ways, better than students based in the city. I am confident this is the case within the CQ region,” Prof Donald said.
Professor Donald said that UQ’s Rockhampton medical school planned to adopt a new international teaching initiative known as multiprofessional learning, which prepared medical students to work with students in other health disciplines in a collaborative approach to solving health issues.
“The future of health care rests with multi skilled teams of professionals working to solve complex multisystem disease. Multiprofessional learning is likely to enhance the ability of health professionals achieve better of patient outcomes, “ Prof Donald said.
He said the school was committed to community-based medicine and models of care that were responsive to the distinctive needs of Central Queensland communities.
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