Strategic positioning of medical schools: An Australian perspective

Abstract

Key forces shaping medical education drive medical schools to make strategic choices to locate themselves in niches where they can make use of their resources effectively and efficiently. However, the concepts of strategy in higher education are highly contested issues due to the nature and complexity of the sector and the university, more so for medical schools which operate in an ever more regulated environment. Drawing on data from qualitative semi-structured interviews, this paper investigates the notion of strategic positioning in medical education. The broad findings show that medical schools are somewhat bipolar in nature, in that they seemed to position themselves in terms of teaching and learning, and research. The analysis of strategic positions of medical schools has implications at both institutional and systems levels.

Notes on contributors

Marian Mahat, MEd, GradCert Teaching, BSc(Hons), DipBus, has more than fifteen years of experience in higher education, spanning several universities, the Australian Government's Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, the LH Martin Institute for Tertiary Leadership and Management, and the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education. She has made a significant contribution to higher education through developing evidence-based strategic policy, and providing advice to institutional leaders and policy makers.

Hamish Coates, PhD, MEd, BSc, BA(Hons), is a Professor of Higher Education at the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education. He has authored over 200 publications and led over 50 influential projects that have shaped scholarship, policy and practice. He has given over 200 keynotes and is sought internationally as a speaker.

Glossary

Strategic positioning: Strategic positioning in higher education involves universities selecting a number of dimensions of activities such as research, teaching and learning, knowledge exchange, international, or regional engagement. Universities make strategic choices in which dimensions to focus their efforts on, not necessarily for direct profit-making but for a variety of other reasons, including improving academic reputation.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.