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Can the redistribution of medical school solve the problems in training places shortage?

Medicine

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has provided strong comment on the Government’s assessment of the distribution of medical school places across the country, stating that greater funding is needed to ensure an adequate flow of fully-trained doctors, especially to rural and remote areas.

The AMA has said that they are open to the redistribution of medical school places, but emphasizing that it must be backed with funding for more downstream prevocational and specialist training places in country Australia. Rolling out more training in rural and remote areas will also require increased Government funding for supervision, mentoring, infrastructure, and adequate and appropriate clinical experiences.

AMA President Dr Michael Gannon said that Australia currently has about the right number of medical graduates and medical school places. “The clear challenge for the Government is to develop programs to encourage doctors to work in under-serviced areas, including rural and remote Australia,” said Dr Gannon.

Meanwhile, the Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) has said that dozens of graduates remain stranded without jobs after studying hard for seven to eight years. The internship shortage hits them to the point of considering other options outside of medicine such as post-graduate studies or part-time work.

AMSA President Rob Thomas said that they hear more and more stories from medical graduates who approach AMSA for support as their future remains uncertain. Medical graduate numbers have more than doubled in the past 10 years, but internship and vocational training positions have not caught up to meet this oversupply.

“It is unfair to see constant calls from politicians and universities for new medical schools or more medical student places when the system is already cracking under the pressure of our current graduates,” Mr Thomas said.

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