Medical school ‘could help shortage of doctors in north west’

THE new medical school which is to open at Magee campus in Derry could help a shortage of doctors in the north west, says a health academic.

On Monday, Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill announced that the medical school in Derry will open in September 2021.

The first intake will be for 70 students who will train to be doctors.

Professor Scott Wilkes, head of the school of medicine at Sunderland University, says the proposed Magee medical school could help solve the shortage of doctors in the north west.

“We will know this in 10 years time when they’ve qualified, but if we believe the modelling and trends then that could happen,” Prof Wilkes told BBC Radio Foyle

The School of Medicine at Sunderland University opened its door to medical students for the first time in September and Prof Wilkes said the “hard work starts now” to get the medical school up and running in Derry.

Prof Wilkes said simply by having a medical school at the Magee campus could mean a significant proportion of graduates begin their medical careers in the north west.

“Almost a third of students tend to work where they train,” Prof Wilkes told the programme.

Tags: