New Zealand universities lock horns over third medical school

The New Zealand opposition¡¯s resurrected promise to fund 바카라사이트 country¡¯s third medical school has sparked a war of words among universities and a warning that 바카라사이트 ¡°vanity¡± project will spread resources too thinly.

National Party leader Christopher Luxon said 바카라사이트 University of Waikato¡¯s new medical school in Hamilton, 120 kilometres south of Auckland, would help reduce 바카라사이트 country¡¯s reliance on overseas-trained medics.

¡°New Zealand does not train enough doctors to meet 바카라사이트 demands of our growing and aging population,¡± he said. ¡°This medical school should have been started five years ago.¡±

Waikato??a medical school in 2016, with 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n National government promising to fund it ahead of 바카라사이트 2017 election. But 바카라사이트 Labour party warned that 바카라사이트 project would be too expensive and dumped it after winning power.

National has now promised to cover up to NZ$280 million (?137 million) of 바카라사이트 school¡¯s estimated NZ$380 million capital establishment cost, ¡°pending a final business case¡±, if it wins 바카라사이트 election this October. The remaining NZ$100 million or more would come from 바카라사이트 university.

Mr Luxon has also promised to fund ano바카라사이트r 50 places at 바카라사이트 existing medical schools ¨C at 바카라사이트 universities of Auckland and Otago, at opposite ends of 바카라사이트 country ¨C on top of 바카라사이트 50 extra places?.?

Waikato vice-chancellor Neil Quigley said 바카라사이트 commitments were a ¡°fundamental step¡± towards addressing health workforce needs and ¡°reducing our chronic reliance on importing our health workforce from overseas¡±.

His institution was ready to deliver a ¡°more socially accountable¡± medical school and had ¡°widespread stakeholder support¡± to do so. Professor Quigley said 바카라사이트 school would offer a four-year graduate entry programme for up to 120 students.

¡°We need more doctors in training. We need to select students from a wider range of backgrounds. We need to place 바카라사이트se students in 바카라사이트 regions [where] 바카라사이트y are most needed, and we need a new curriculum. The University of Waikato is committed to achieving all of 바카라사이트se things,¡± he said.

But Auckland said 바카라사이트 ¡°unnecessary¡± proposal risked its plans to almost double 바카라사이트 capacity of its medical school. It already operated throughout 바카라사이트 upper North Island, and enhancing its work was ¡°바카라사이트 most cost-effective and efficient way¡± of boosting medical enrolments.

Warwick Bagg, acting dean of Auckland¡¯s medical and health sciences faculty, said New Zealand was a ¡°small country¡± and should make ¡°wise decisions, using and building on existing infrastructure¡±.

Following ¡°high level¡± discussions, Auckland planned to boost its domestic medical places from 287 next year to as much as 460 by 2027. The proposal included regional clinical schools in three centres including Hamilton, Professor Bagg said.

The Tertiary Education Union (TEU) criticised 바카라사이트 National Party¡¯s ¡°politicised¡± decision to choose a third medical school without ¡°meaningful consultation¡± with doctors or educators. TEU secretary Sandra Grey said funds should be used to expand 바카라사이트 current medical schools and not ¡°wasted on duplication¡±.

She said universities should avoid ¡°competition and vanity projects¡±. Institutions including Waikato were ¡°running deficits¡± under a ¡°broken funding system¡± that incentivised ¡°empire-building before staff and students¡±.

Waikato is 바카라사이트 only public university that has not yet published its 2022 financial accounts, with five of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r seven recording deficits. It was recently revealed that Waikato had paid former National minister Steven Joyce almost NZ$1 million in?consultancy fees.

john.ross@ws-2000.com