Partnership creates guide for Medicos

A collaboration between the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Springfield campus and the Ipswich and West Moreton Division of General Practice (IWMDGP) has created a comprehensive guide to Ipswich for newly arrived overseas trained doctors and their families.

USQ Faculty of Science Associate Director Gerry Tehan said students in the Bachelor of Psychology worked on the guide with IWMDGP as part of a work integrated learning project.

'Following our initial meetings with the IWMDGP it became evident they needed a vehicle to provide information for international medical graduates attracted to the Ipswich area to work as GPs,' Assoc Professor Tehan said.

'Approximately 80 per cent of new doctors in the region are international graduates and the IWMDGP were finding they had a number of doctors landing on their doorstep knowing nothing about Ipswich, life in Australia and how to work as a GP in this country.

'The Guide, called Welcome Information for International Medical Graduates: Your guide to living and working in Australia demystified the process and provides practical information to the doctors.

'It includes information about housing, child care, shopping, transport, food, religion, banks and money, taxation, language and details about medical organisations such as the Medical Board of Queensland.

'Together, the students and IWMDGP came up with the idea of putting together an information package with two basic sections.

'We covered what people would need to know to settle their family in Ipswich and what doctors need to know to work as a GP in Queensland.'

Assoc Professor Tehan said his class tackled the project by putting themselves in the position of the doctors arriving in Australia.

'They considered what they themselves would need to know if they were going overseas and beginning a career in a new country. As a result they came up with a fairly comprehensive package that seems to work quite well.

'Work integrated learning projects such as the guide are fundamental to the psychology courses here at USQ,' Assoc Professor Tehan said.

'Through this kind of project our students are given hands on experience sourcing and researching information and assembling it in a visually appealing and appropriate manner to meet client deadlines and criteria.Thus we are introducing them to the demands and responsibilities of professional work as trainee psychologists and the contributions they can make to the local community.'

Media Contact: Jo-Ann Sparrow USQ Media +61 7 3470 4119 or 0438 309 096