THE Hunter academic who triggered the departure of Whitehaven chairman Mark Vaile as Chancellor of the University of Newcastle has announced her candidacy to preside over a peak medical training college.
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Professor Jennifer Martin hopes to be elected as president of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) as voting opens.
The researcher, physician and Rhodes Scholar famously challenged the appointment of Vaile due to his corporate links to the fossil fuel industry by resigning from the University of Newcastle's Council. She was subsequently reinstated by popular vote. RACP is responsible for the training of thousands of physicians across Australia and New Zealand, and Professor Martin said she felt the time was right to step up from her position on the board into a leadership role as she had the necessary experience and knowledge.
She wanted to ensure training programs were efficient and "fit for purpose" for a post-COVID workforce, as well as address doctor shortages - particularly in rural and regional areas.
"We have to appreciate that it is the college's role to ensure that we are training physicians not just for our metropolitan areas and private practices, but actually training physicians able to service the needs of the community," Professor Martin said. "We need to better support some of our indigenous communities that haven't been served well by our training pathways in Australia. Some of the level of care in those communities is poor - almost third world. I think if you are the head of a training body that trains doctors, you have a moral duty to ensure your organisation is aware of that and works with those communities to address those issues."
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