General News
28 April, 2023
Scholarships to support next generation of rural doctors
The next generation of rural doctors will receive a helping hand to start their studies.
The next generation of rural doctors will receive a helping hand to start their studies.
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A new Deakin University scholarship program will start next year, two years ahead of schedule, to support two aspiring medical students each year from under-represented communities.
As well, the university's Rural Training Stream, which specifically focuses on training doctors to work in country areas, will hold an information session tonight to provide interested people with details about the chance to study at either Ararat or Warrnambool next year, rather than Geelong.
The Damion Drapac Scholarships, created from a donation from Melbourne business Michael Drapac whose son Damion, a Deakin medical graduate who was killed while riding his bike in 2019, will broaden the opportunities for rural training.
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"The gift will extend the opportunity for medical education to people from under-represented communities including those from rural and regional areas, LGBTQIA+ communities, people living with disability, financial hardship and from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds," said Deakin School of Medicine dean Professor Gary Rogers.
Last year Mr Drapac donated more than $6 million to the university to establish the Damion Drapac Centre: Advancing Equity in Health Professional Education.
The scholarships are in addition to the donation for the centre.
"Vocationally, there are a lot of really bright students unable to realise their dream of becoming a doctor because of financial hardship or other barriers," Mr Drapac said.
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"These scholarships will help them overcome those barriers and produce graduate doctors with the same enthusiasm to give back to their communities as Damion had. When I see the shine in them, I will see my son."
Professor Rogers said the Damion Drapac Centre would support socially inclusive medical education through the scholarships, and support education and development programs for potential students.
"Bringing the scholarship program forward by two years means we will have doctors graduating as Damion Drapac Scholars as early as 2028 and 2029."
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Deakin currently has about 50 students studying in Ballarat through its Rural Clinical School and its new Rural Training Stream, which began last year, recruits students from rural and regional backgrounds who have an interest in practising rural medicine and commitment to training in a rural clinical school.
From next year, Rural Training Stream students will be able to complete the first year of their course at one of two rural training centres, Deakin's campus in Warrnambool or the East Grampians Health Service in Ararat and from 2025 the second year of the medical degree will also be offered there.
All medical students are completing first and second years of study at Deakin's Waurn Ponds campus.
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