LIMECONNECTIONV - LIME Network

The LIME Network ProgramThe Leaders in Indigenous Medical Education (LIME) Network is a Medical Deans Australia and New ZealandProgram funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and is hosted by the OnemdaVicHealth Koori Health Unit within the School of Population and Global Health at The University of Melbourne.The LIME Network is a dynamic network dedicated to ensuring the quality and effectiveness of teaching andlearning of Indigenous health in medical education and curricula, as well as best practice in the recruitmentand retention of Indigenous medical students. We seek to do this through establishing a continuing bi-nationalpresence that encourages and supports collaboration within and between medical schools and colleges inAustralia and Aotearoa/New Zealand and by building linkages with the medical colleges, local Indigenouscommunities and other health science sectors.The LIME Network recognises and promotes the primacy of Indigenous leadership and knowledge. TheProject’s governance model includes a strong, representative Steering Committee and Reference Group. Bothgroups consist of a range of participants, including medical educators, specialists in Indigenous health, policymakers and community members concerned with the improvement of health outcomes for Indigenous people.The aims of the LIME Network are designed to:• Enable the continuing development and implementation of quality Indigenous health curriculum to improvemedical education for all medical students;• Build on and strengthen appropriate recruitment and retention initiatives for Indigenous students;• Build the capacity of those working in Indigenous health at medical schools;• Develop pathways for vertical integration of Indigenous health curriculum and student recruitmentstrategies with specialist colleges;• Strengthen Indigenous health initiatives across health disciplines; and• Facilitate key relationships between Indigenous community controlled health organisations and medicalschools to improve collaboration, student placement opportunities and research initiatives.The LIME Network Program has achieved significant outcomes including:• The facilitation of bi-annual Reference Group meetings to provide the opportunity for those working inIndigenous health within medical schools to collaborate, share information, provide feedback and peernetwork;• The biennial LIME Connection conference to provide a forum for knowledge transfer and dissemination;• Publication of the tri-annual LIME Network Newsletter promoting best practice and sharing successes inthe field;• Maintaining the LIME Network Website housing information on LIME Network projects and other newsand events;• Building the evidence base of the efficacy of Indigenous health curriculum development andimplementation as well as Indigenous student recruitment and retention initiatives through publicationssuch as the Good Practice Case Studies Booklets and the Special Edition of the ANZAHPE Focus onHealth Professional Education Journal;8