Official Opening of the University of Notre Dame Australia School of Medicine in Fremantle

Document Type

Media Release

Publication Date

Spring 2-9-2005

Publisher Name

The University of Notre Dame, Fremantle Campus

Publication Place

Fremantle

Abstract

The Commonwealth Minister for Health, the Hon Tony Abbott, today officially opened the University of Notre Dame Australia 's School of Medicine on its Fremantle Campus. This is Australia 's first private Medical School .

The University enrolled its first group of eighty students (from hundreds of applicants from all over Australia) into the four-year graduate entry program in February this year after receiving approval from the Commonwealth and State Governments in 2003 and accreditation from the Australian Medical Council in November 2004.

The Vice Chancellor, Dr Peter Tannock, said that he was delighted with the quality of the initial intake of students and with the welcome they had received from the medical profession, the State, Catholic and private hospitals, and the State Health Department. He was also very grateful to Curtin University for its partnership with Notre Dame in the provision of biomedical science education.

The Vice Chancellor said that the new Medical School , housed in a beautiful 19 th century warehouse building, provided state of the art facilities for this excellent medical training program and reflected great credit upon the University's Architect and builder.

Dr Tannock said "this new Medical School, the second in Western Australia, will make a major contribution to meeting the health care needs of this great State long into the future. It will be working with public, Catholic and private hospitals, general practice clinics, and community health services, to train doctors of outstanding quality who have a strong commitment to the values which underpin the University."

Dr Tannock thanked Commonwealth and State Governments for their willingness to commit to this new Medical School and for their generous financial support, without which it would not have been possible to proceed. He also thanked the City of Fremantle for making the building available to the University.

He thanked the Australian Medical Council for its care, concern and very helpful practical advice. He said that a project of this magnitude would have been impossible for Notre Dame without wide-ranging financial support within the community. He paid special tribute to Wesfarmers for its foundation gift of $1m, and to the Galvin Family and Bevis Smith who had also contributed $1m each to the project. He said there were many other major private benefactors from the Church and the general community who deserved the University's warmest thanks.

Dr Tannock expressed his gratitude to both the Commonwealth Health Minister, Mr Tony Abbott and the State Health Minister, Mr Jim McGinty for their willingness to personally back this great enterprise which, when fully developed, would see nearly four hundred students training to be doctors in Western Australia. He thanked the two Ministers for honouring the University with their presence at the Opening and declared it was a red-letter day for the wonderful staff, student, and supporters of Australia's newest Medical School.

For media related information contact: The Media Office, University of Notre Dame, Direct line: 08 9433 0698, Mobile: 0408 959 138, Email: media@nd.edu.au

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