The Northern Territory Medical Program (NTMP) delivers the potential for Indigenous graduates who live in the Northern Territory to undertake the study of medicine closer to home. A key priority of the Northern Territory and Commonwealth governments is to increase the participation of Indigenous people in medicine. Flinders University recognises respects and supports this key priority through its commitment to equity and inclusiveness in its medical program. The second key development is the addition of the Indigenous Entry Stream (IES) which applies for entry to the Flinders medical program in both Adelaide and the Northern Territory.

Key features of the IES are as follows:

  • Indigenous graduates may apply directly to Flinders University rather than through GEMSAS (Graduate Entry Medical School Admissions System);
  • Applications to the IES will not require GAMSAT results;
  • Intending applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Indigenous support units in the Northern Territory or South Australia to discuss their application;
  • Applications for entry via the IES should be submitted by the application deadline of March 25, 2013;
  • Applications lodged after the closing date will be accepted only in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the Executive Dean;
  • Applications must be on the IES Application form (see link below) and will require information about relevant education, work and community service history, together with referee's reports and documentation of Indigenous descent;
  • Short-listed candidates will be invited to a detailed interview by a panel with substantial Indigenous membership, designed to assess the applicant's academic and career history as well as factors that may impact positively or negatively on their capacity to complete the medical course;
  • Based on the application and interview process, applicants to programs in either Darwin or Adelaide will be offered a place in a Preparation to Medicine program (PMP) as a final stage in selection for entry to the course or will be advised about further preparatory steps to address gaps in their background prior to making a further application.

The PMP is conducted mid-year and is designed to introduce some content and skills central to the medical course, to maximise the preparedness of all applicants and build a supportive cohort. The PMP functions as a final step in assessing an applicant's readiness for successfully completing the four-year medical program. PMP participants will be assessed on their academic performance, teamwork, psychosocial factors and communication. From 2012 applicants who successfully complete the PMP will be required to undertake a science remediation program titled Flinders University Extended Learning in Science (FUELS). This is a comprehensive online program that addresses gaps for Indigenous students with very little background in chemistry, physics and biology and numeracy. The course will be conducted after the Preparation for Medicine Program and will be run entirely online through the Flinders online learning environment. Estimated student time commitment is around 10 hours a week.

Applicants who successfully complete the PMP and FUELS will be recommended for entry into medicine.

Please download the application form ( IES Application Form 2014 (PDF 429KB) ) and either complete it electronically or, if you prefer, print out and complete and send the completed form both electronically and via post with official transcripts and other documentation (see Checklist on page 6 of the Application Form) to the addresses below.

For those wishing to study at Flinders in the Northern Territory send to:

Bev Councillor
Indigenous Transition Pathways
Flinders NT
PO Box U362
Charles Darwin University NT 0815
Email: indigenoussupportnt@flinders.edu.au
Phone: (08) 8946 7494

For those wishing to study at Flinders in South Australia send to:
Di Autio/Bevin Wilson
Indigenous Transition Pathways
Poche Centre of Indigenous Health and Wellbeing
Faculty of Health Sciences
Flinders University
GPO Box 2100
Adelaide SA 5011
Email: indigenoussupportsa@flinders.edu.au

While it is expected that most Indigenous graduates will apply via the IES they may choose to apply through GEMSAS (with GAMSAT results) and such applications will be considered in a parallel process for Indigenous entry. Indigenous applicants who apply through GEMSAS are required to submit a Statutory Declaration for confirmation of Aboriginality (http://www.ag.gov.au/statdec) to GEMSAS Operations in which they declare that they are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, that they identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and that they are accepted as such in the community in which they live or have lived.

Key Dates 2013

March 25
Deadline for receipt of applications in Adelaide and Darwin
March 29
Short-listed applicants notified about interview arrangements
April 22 to May 3
Interviews in Dawin and Adelaide
May 20
Invitations to selected applicants to participate in the Preparation for Medicine Program
July 15-26
Preparation for Medicine Program
August to December
Flinders University Extended Learning in Science (FUELS) program