Federation University & NewMed leadership meet ahead of key accreditation milestone

Federation University Australia and New Medical Education Australia (NewMed) have brought their leadership teams together in Ballarat, marking a significant step forward in establishing the new School of Medicine.

The joint meetings come ahead of the next stage of the Australian Medical Council’s (AMC) comprehensive accreditation process, required for all new medical schools.

Held at Federation University’s Ballarat campus, the meetings focused on ensuring academic quality and advancing the program’s specialised, real-world GP-first approach to medical school education.

Federation University Vice-Chancellor and President, Duncan Bentley, said the joint leadership engagement demonstrates strong momentum and shared purpose.

“These meetings are an important milestone as we move toward accreditation of our new School of Medicine,” Professor Bentley said.

“Federation and NewMed are united in our clear ambition – to train more doctors in, and for, regional communities.”

“Through strong partnerships with local clinics that provide students with hands-on learning, we are creating a model that supports better health outcomes for communities across Australia.”

The proposed School of Medicine will deliver a new model of medical education – with placements for medical students in General Practices from their first year, continuing in years two and three, with hospital-based training following for the final year.

Importantly, the model will enable postgraduate students to study virtually from across the five mainland states of Australia, with facilitated online small-group learning and thrice-yearly anchor events bringing all students together for collaborative learning.

The program aims to address critical workforce shortages, with just 3,900 doctors graduating from Australia’s 22 medical schools each year, while more than 4,000 overseas-trained doctors are recruited annually to help bridge the workforce gap.

NewMed CEO and Dean, Professor Stephen Tobin, said the collaboration reflects a strong alignment in mission and values.

“These joint meetings highlight the depth of alignment between Federation University and NewMed,” he said.

“We share a commitment to caring for rural, regional and outer metropolitan communities, and to delivering medical education that is grounded in real-world practice and strong health system partnerships.”

“Working together, our focus is building a sustainable pipeline of doctors who are connected to their community from day one,” he said.

Subject to accreditation from the AMC, the School of Medicine is expected to welcome its first cohort of students in 2027.