The University of Queensland's new graduate medical course had attracted intense competition both from Queensland and interstate applicants, according to the Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay.
This was due to the high quality of the course and the open admissions policy required under the Commonwealth Constitution.
Professor Hay said while the competition reflected well on the course, it created problems for Queensland which needed to be addressed.
Professor Hay welcomed a call by the Queensland Health Minister Mike Horan to enter into talks on the composition of applicants in the new course starting this week. Of 231 entrants, 116 are from Queensland.
He said the University could not discriminate in favour of Queensland residents on constitutional grounds.
Section 92 and Article 117 of the Australian Constitution meant the University could not refuse entry to its Graduate Medical Course to residents of other States on the basis of their residency.
He said he was sympathetic to Mr Horan's calls for more Queenslanders to be accepted into medicine and understood that it was necessary to increase the numbers of GPs and specialists practising in rural and remote areas of Queensland.
Professor Hay said the outcome of the admissions process would be reviewed and the matter taken up with both Queensland and Federal funding authorities to see if there was a way around the constitutional barriers.
The issue was complex because the Graduate Medical Course depended both on Commonwealth and State funding and on extensive collaboration with Queensland Health in addressing the State's city and rural health care needs.
Professor Hay said part of the problem was that Queensland needed more medical places to be funded by the Commonwealth Government.
Mr Horan said he would be taking up this issue with Federal Health Minister Michael Wooldridge.
For further information, contact Professor Bryan Campbell, head of the Graduate School of Medicine, telephone 3353 4867 (a/h) or Professor Ken Adkins, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, telephone 3821 1987 (a/h).
