First Nations Health Representation and Workforce across the Faculty through shared learning
This project will develop a toolkit to assist with building a co-delivery approach of First Nations health to address the under-representation of First Nations peoples within MDHS.
The toolkit will enable integration of Indigenous knowledges into curriculum, increased employment for community members and recognise the importance of cultural knowledges and lived experiences.
Qualitative research methods will explore the experiences of First Nations tutors, their motivations for undertaking the role, barriers and enablers to career progression and cultural safety, as well as cultural insights into partnerships with Indigenous communities.
This project was supported by an MDHS Diversity and Inclusion Grant 2021.
Dr Ngaree Blow, Melbourne Medical School
Madelyne Hudson-Buhagiar, Melbourne Medical School
Brooke Conley, Melbourne Medical School
The On Country for Health (OC4H) Digital Storytelling Project is progressing with a strong foundation in Indigenous knowledges, sustainability, healing practices, and cultural immersion. This initiative aims to capture and share the experiences of the OC4H program, which is currently offered to postgraduate health professions students through the Wurru Wurru Health Unit. In 2024, the program is running for second-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) students as part of their specialised pathways in First Nations health.
Our research seeks to explore the impact of On Country Learning (OCL) on both students and the local community, providing valuable insights into the benefits of cultural immersion from both a learner and teacher perspective. Ethics approval has been secured, and a local First Nations film company has been engaged to conduct video data collection in May 2024. Additionally, community discussions have been arranged to share plain language statements and address any questions that have arisen.
Guided by the local Yorta Yorta community, our research team is working closely with community members to ensure culturally appropriate engagement and recruitment for interviews. We are also collaborating to determine the most effective ways to conduct focus groups during our visit in May. Our methodology remains inductive, prioritising the voices and guidance of the local First Nations community to ensure a meaningful and respectful approach to this important work.