Addressing the rural workforce shortage

15 January 2007
An innovative and collaborative project across several faculties aims to improve the acute shortage in health care professionals based in rural and remote Australia.

With the Rural Resource Package on Rural Communities the Faculties of Medicine, Nursing and Midwifery, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Health Sciences, Veterinary Science and Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources are to combining their skills to improve students understanding of the issues impacting on the lives of Australians in rural and remote communities.

This new e-learning package will assist students in defining rural Australia, highlight some of the key demographics and social indicators and explore options for health delivery. In addition the special health needs of Indigenous Australians will be examined.

This e-learning will be complemented by clinical placements in rural and remote communities.

“The shortage of health care professionals has resulted in the under servicing of rural and remote communities with a consequent negative impact on the health of those living in those communities. We at the University of Sydney must play a role in addressing this imbalance” says Dr Susan Taylor, Associate Dean (Rural) in the Faculty of Pharmacy.

For more information on this project contact Dr Susan Taylor