The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) has urged the Federal Government to double junior doctor training places in rural settings, to help more young doctors experience the rewards of working in rural general practices and rural hospitals during their post-university medical training.
Currently, there are 110 full-time equivalent (FTE) rural junior doctor rotations funded annually – which will increase to 200 FTE by 2025 – through the Federal Government’s John Flynn Prevocational Doctor Program.
While this is welcome, RDAA says this needs to be doubled to 400 FTE places to help deliver enough future doctors into rural Australia.
A doubling of places to 400 FTE places per year would see at least 1600 junior doctors able to undertake part of their intern and post-graduate training in a rural setting.
“It really is a case of ‘They’ll never never know if they never never (get to) go’”
RDAA President, Dr Megan Belot, said.
“We need more junior doctors to see first-hand how awesome a rural medical career can be.
“If we want to build the future rural doctor workforce, we need to get as many junior doctors training in the rural health system as we can, right now.
“If we can get a minimum of 1600 junior doctors to experience Rural Medicine each year, then we will be way ahead of where we are currently.
“At the moment, medical students are going from university – where there is a plethora of rural placements available to them – to virtually nothing once they graduate and become junior doctors.
“It’s like trying to merge three lanes of highway traffic into a bike path.
“For those who are keen to go rural – or are even just open-minded to continue their training in a rural setting – there are often limited opportunities available to do so.
“Virtually all junior doctor training is provided solely in capital cities or our largest regional centres. This often steers junior doctors automatically to a career as an urban GP or other urban specialist.
“Doubling the number of rural training places gives us a fighting chance to get more junior doctors into the rural health system, and to show them what a great career and lifestyle Rural Medicine can offer.
“At the same time, it boosts the number of doctors working in rural areas – so it’s a win-win situation.
“It also provides a pathway not only to recruit future Rural GPs, but also Rural Generalists and Rural Consultant Specialists – all desperately needed in the bush.
“We have been advocating for a doubling of rural junior doctor training places for a long time.
“We will be incredibly disappointed if the additional places are not included in the forthcoming Federal Budget. If this is the case, we will be watching closely to ensure the major parties commit to them in the lead-up to the Federal Election.
“We also need to see additional supports provided to the private rural practices and doctors who offer to host and supervise junior doctors when they are on placement in rural areas.
“We hope the Federal Government will deliver urgently on this critical measure.
“We are way past the time of needing piecemeal measures that only tweak elements of the rural health system.
“We really need significant measures that will improve the whole system, and this includes an expansion of junior doctor training in rural settings – because if you aren’t training enough junior doctors in the bush, you aren’t going to have a future rural doctor workforce.”