Footprints Forwards:
Better Strategies for the Recruitment, Retention and Support of Indigenous Students.
This project involved a consortium of the School of Rural Health of Monash, the University of New South Wales and James Cook University and was funded through Department of Health and Ageing (DOHA). It was conducted within the Program of National Significance and was led by the Monash team. The project aims were focussed on investigating the opportunities and barriers to Indigenous student entry into medical education. The reasons for low enrolment and high withdrawal rates for Indigenous students in medical courses were examined. We were also interested to know what strategies are adopted by Australian medical schools to recruit and retain Indigenous students, and what advice, guidance, promotional materials, and support were available to Indigenous secondary students and medical students.
The findings documented a number of barriers to recruitment, retention and completion for Indigenous students. The pool of year 12 Indigenous students is small but information and support for those interested in entering a medical course should also target mature aged Indigenous students. The available helpful literature was found to be limited. An audit of Indigenous students in Australian medical schools revealed little increase in numbers in recent years and universities’ strategies for addressing this under-representation are lacking or ineffective.
The report recommended a national approach to be led by a national Reference Group and collaboration among stakeholders such as universities, aimed at better information, support and guidance for secondary school students interested in health careers. All universities should aim to have Indigenous education policies in place and implement the recommendations of the Committee of Deans of Australia Medical Schools Indigenous Health Curriculum (2004).
Subsequent stages of the Footprints Forwards project advanced some of the original recommendations. First, a scoping study was carried out to investigate the viability of an information Clearing House and second, a professional Development Module was constructed for Career Development Practitioners aimed at improving the effectiveness of advice to Indigenous students.
The Clearing House is intended to collect and distribute relevant information on tertiary health courses to schools, students and their families and communities. Rather than replicate what is already available, it will focus on accessibility of culturally appropriate information, be audience specific and take a variety of forms from DVDs, road shows to advertisements.
The Professional Development Module, which is intended to be compulsory for all Career Advisors nationally as an equivalent in time to a two day workshop. It will instruct participants in aspects of Indigenous culture and society, learning styles, and developing career aspirations in Indigenous students.
A third stage of Footprints Forwards will see the creation of the Clearing House and rolling out the Professional Development Module.
