Central Denmark Region talks to AU about training doctors in Gødstrup
More people would establish themselves as general practitioners in the peripheral areas of Central Jutland if medical students had a greater educational affiliation with the region. This is why the region has contacted Health to discuss a new collaboration.
According to a press release issued by Central Denmark Region on 25 September, the region is interested in exploring options for moving parts of AU’s medical degree programme to the regional hospital in Gødstrup. A majority of the Regional Council would like to discuss with Aarhus University and other stakeholders the possibility of moving a larger part of the medical degree programme to the western part of the region - primarily in Gødstrup.
In the press release, Dean Anne-Mette Hvas states that she looks forward to entering a dialogue with Central Denmark Region about the possibilities of moving courses of study centred on general practice to Gødstrup.
"I welcome the fact that the region has asked to discuss this with us. As a university, we must contribute to solving the major challenges society is facing, and one way we can contribute is by alleviating the upcoming shortage of medical doctors in the western part of our region," she says, emphasising that they are in the preliminary stages of the discussion.
"We’ve only said yes to having the discussion and yes to investigating different options. The first thing we’ll need to do is discuss it internally at the faculty. In other words, we don’t know anything concrete yet. No decisions have been made. We first have to talk about what’s appropriate and possible," says Anne-Mette Hvas.
It is the political signatory parties behind the Central Denmark Region's budget for 2024 that has requested that the Regional Council be presented with a concrete decision-making proposal before next summer.
"The reason why Central Denmark Region is looking at the possibility of training medical doctors, particularly aimed at general practice, in the western part of the region is because newly qualified medical doctors often settle and find work in the area where they lived during their studies. So, besides the fact that a Master’s degree programme at the large hospital in the western region would be an exciting opportunity for the hospital itself, we’re also very interested in the geographical effect it might have for us,” says Chairman of the regional council Anders Kühnau (Social Democratic Party) in the press release.
Several local news outlets have reported the story, including TVMidtVest.