In reply: Australia’s first religiously affiliated medical school

Abstract

All Australians have a legitimate interest in the education of health professionals. In our article we outlined some of our concerns — shared by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) — about several features of the current University of Notre Dame program, including compulsory theology courses and procedures for student selection. However, the public’s interest extends beyond the purview of the AMC’s accreditation process. For example, how will the introduction of religiously affiliated medical schools affect access to a full range of health care services and accord with the broad range of needs, values and beliefs in Australian society?