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Day 1: Developing the Health WorkforceStudent pathways: Recruitment, retention and admissions session(11:20 am – 12:40 pm)Student pathways: Admission, recruitment, retention and graduation of Indigenousmedical students – The role of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ AssociationDr Latisha PettersonAustralian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA)AbstractIf we are to ‘close the gap’ in life expectancy and health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderAustralians, we need to develop a strong Indigenous health workforce. In the development of an Indigenousmedical workforce, it is important that students are supported from early life, to school, to university, topostgraduate level.AIDA is addressing Indigenous medical student pathways across the continuum in the following ways:• work around enabling pathways from school into university;• provision of support to its students through the AIDA Student network;• working closely with the Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand, having signed its second CollaborationAgreement in 2008. The agreement specifically includes recruitment, support, retention and graduationof students; implementation of the Medical Deans’ Indigenous Health Curriculum Framework, andenhancing pathways into university (among other key areas);• development of seminal policy documents such as Healthy Futures : Defining Best Practice in theRecruitment and Retention of Indigenous Medical Students; and A Blueprint for Action : Pathways into theHealth Workforce for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; and• increasing the number of fellows, through our work with the College of Presidents of Medical Colleges(CPMC).Presenter: Dr Latisha Petterson28Latisha’s father’s people are descendents of the Wardaman Peoples’ of Moi Moi Countryin the Northern Territory. They are also descendents of the Mudburra, Jinjli, Gurindjiand the Wagadidam Peoples’ of the Western Torres Strait. Her Mother’s People aredescendents of the Gudjal Peoples’ from Far North Queensland, and Latisha proudlyacknowledges and respects both Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander culture from herFather’s & Mother’s People. Latisha obtained a Bachelor of Medicine from the University