The Northern Territory Medical Program - growing our own in the NT

Context: The Northern Territory (NT) is characterised by major health inequalities. A high proportion of the population is Indigenous, with poor socioeconomic conditions and a high burden of disease. The small NT population - 1% of the total Australian population - is dispersed over one-sixth of Australia's land mass. Given this very low population density and the geographical isolation of many small communities, access to services is often difficult. Medical workforce recruitment and retention have been persistent problems. Prior to 2011, NT residents who aspired to study medicine had to leave the NT. This was the only Australian state or territory that did not have the capacity for students to complete an entire medical degree within the jurisdiction. This article describes the development, implementation and outcomes of the Northern Territory Medical Program (NTMP), which commenced in Darwin in 2011. This was a major development of the Flinders University distributed program, which aimed to develop the medical workforce for the challenging NT environment. Issues: Based on evidence regarding the importance of selection in achieving rural workforce outcomes, and a national priority to graduate more Indigenous Australian doctors, NT residents and Indigenous applicants to the NTMP were prioritised in the selection process. Aspiring doctors would not now have to move interstate to study. The curriculum of Flinders University, based in Adelaide, South Australia, would be contextualised to the NT. The NTMP was developed and implemented in collaboration with Charles Darwin University, the major university in the NT. Lessons learned: Some of the lessons learned may be useful to others contemplating the delivery of a distributed program that includes a full medical program in a remote area. These include: 1. Leadership at the highest levels of the university is crucial. 2. Expect faculty turnover and avoid single person vulnerabilities. 3. Actively engage local clinicians. 4. Ensure a strong focus on new or alternative selection processes that are able to predict progression. 5. Provide preparatory skills and support for students, especially Indigenous students, with non-science backgrounds. 6. Appreciate and accommodate the community and family pressures experienced by some Indigenous students. 7. Anticipate that the first pioneering cohort of students will not be typical of future cohorts, and work with them to adapt the curriculum, teaching and selection metho