Darling Downs regional communities and Griffith University health students are benefitting from the new Darling Downs Clinical Training Centre.
Based in central Toowoomba, a short drive from the Toowoomba Hospital, the $3.6m facility, was officially opened today (Friday 13 June) by The Honourable Ian Macfarlane MP, Federal Member for Groom, Minister for Industry.
“This facility is the first of its kind that allows for integrated rural medical education and training by creating a workforce pipeline of medical students through to junior doctor and specialist training,” said Professor Scott Kitchener, Medical Director of Queensland Rural Medical Education (QRME) and Clinical Lead in Rural Health for Griffith University.
A collaborative effort
A collaborative effort between Griffith and QRME, the state-of-the-art facility features a high fidelity SIM Man on which Medicine students will be able to perform simulated medical treatments.
There is also a lecture theatre, two problem-based learning teaching rooms, two tutorial rooms and three consultation rooms. All facilities are connected by high
speed internet links, as well as video conference links to Griffith’s Gold Coast campus.
So far Medicine and Midwifery students have been the first to take advantage of the new facility, but this is expected to be expanded to other allied health disciplines such as exercise science and dietetics, says PVC for the Health Group Professor Allan Cripps.
“The Darling Downs Clinical Training Centre represents an important hub for Griffith University to help improve workforce capacity for regional areas. It also links other developments across the Darling Downs for supporting work in other facilities.”
“The Darling Downs Clinical Training Centre is a huge boost for health on the Darling Downs. It creates a facility for specialist training which will lead to more rural health practitioners and long term benefits for Toowoomba, rural communities and further
afield,” the Honourable Ian Macfarlane MP said.