Program aims

Doctors in Secondary Schools aims to provide equitable, accessible and professional primary health care services to young Victorians in secondary schools.

The program complements existing student wellbeing programs aimed at improving health literacy and encouraging preventive health. Its explicit objectives are to:

• make primary health care more accessible to students
• provide assistance to young people to identify and address any health problems early
• reduce the pressure on working parents and community-based GPs.

The Victorian Government has confirmed that the Doctors in Secondary Schools program is funded through to December 2024. 

Who is involved?

One-hundred (100) Victorian government, secondary schools have access to a GP trained in adolescent health, for up to one day per week. This service is located onsite, as an in-reach service, providing medical advice and treatment to students enrolled in the participating school.

Participating medical centres nominate a GP or eligible registrar to provide services in a ‘satellite clinic’ within the school for a period of four hours weekly, supported by a Practice Nurse who works closely with the school.

Since 2017, the DiSS schools that have rolled out in south east Melbourne are:

• Rosebud Secondary College
• Carrum Downs Secondary School
• Cranbourne Secondary School
• Dandenong High School
• Gleneagles Secondary College
• Keysborough Secondary College
• McClelland Secondary College
• Narre Warren South P-12 College
• Noble Park Secondary College
• Oakwood School – Noble Park Campus
• Pakenham Secondary College
• Patterson River Secondary College
• Cranbourne East Secondary College
• Fountain Gate Secondary College
• Hallam Senior Secondary College
• Lyndale Secondary College
• Mornington Secondary College
• Monterey Secondary College 
• Hampton Park Secondary College

Eligibility

Medical centres

Medical centres must be accredited against the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Standards for General Practice. Practices that are accredited or registered for accreditation and committed to working at the school on an ongoing basis are encouraged to apply.

Practices are required to provide bulk-billing services for students, have a medical software program and have – or are willing to have – a clinical audit tool installed to record and report data.

All clinicians will be required to undertake a Working with Children Check and mandatory training, in-line with program requirements.

General Practitioners

The program requires GPs with:

• Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registration with no restriction on scope of practice
• Working with Children Check
• experience working in a multidisciplinary team

Practice Nurses

The program requires practice nurses with:

• AHPRA registration with no restrictions on scope of practice in Australia
• Working with Children Check

Get involved

We have established a pool of general practices interested in applying to participate in the Doctors in Secondary Schools program, as vacancies arise.

If you are a GP, nurse or general practice interested in the Doctors in Secondary Schools program, complete this online expression of interest form.

We will contact those who have submitted an expression of interest before releasing vacancies to an open market. Don’t miss your opportunity to be involved in this rewarding program – ensure you receive all notifications related to future vacancies by completing the online form now. 

For more information visit the VTPHNA Doctors in Secondary Schools page.