From social support to not feeling like 'just a GP' — what young graduates tackling our rural doctor shortage want
2 years, 5 months ago

From social support to not feeling like 'just a GP' — what young graduates tackling our rural doctor shortage want

ABC  

A GP closes their doors. Key points: Lower incomes, burnout and an ageing workforce are being blamed for the worsening rural doctor shortage Almost three times more medical graduates are needed in general practice, experts say Young people passionate about rural health say stigma about being "just a GP" needs to change Stories like this are spilling out from all over rural Australia. Surveys suggest about 15 per cent of medical graduates want to pursue general practice — many times less than the number needed to fix a national GP shortage. “General practice was made to be seen as not that challenging.” Juliza Jahimin "hasn't looked back" since leaving hospital work to train as a GP. And it's very, very reward rewarding.” A long way from 40 per cent target The concern about working remotely without much support was a common one, said Ian Kamerman, a Tamworth GP and chairperson of the Australian Medical Association Council of Rural Doctors.

Health Medicare General Rural Health Practice Graduates General Practice Medical Graduates Doctor Shortage Dr Jahimin Rural Gp Paheerathan Medical Community Mr Paheerathan Just A Gp Dr Kamerman Vidhushan Paheerathan  doctor  shortage  support  general  paheerathan  young  feeling  medical  community  tackling  health  practice  social  graduates  jahimin  rural  gp

History of this topic

Trainee GP numbers increase for first time in seven years, with rural training focus
4 months ago

Trainee GP numbers increase for first time in seven years, with rural training focus

ABC  

Sliding trainee general practitioner numbers are set to end next year, thanks to a national training program receiving a 19.8 per cent increase in applicants. RACGP outgoing president and regional GP Dr Nicole Higgins said while it was good news for Australia's health system, she did not want to see rural and regional communities left behind. Dr Higgins said trainee …

Doctors offered $10,000 bonus to move to regional South Australia to address rural GP shortage
1 year, 3 months ago

Doctors offered $10,000 bonus to move to regional South Australia to address rural GP shortage

ABC  

Several towns across South Australia will offer GPs up to $10,000 in a bid to attract more doctors to regional areas under a new pay deal. Key points: GPs will be offered an additional $10,000 signing-on bonus to move and work in regional SA Doctors will be compensated for a broad range of non-clinical commitments such as teaching, training and …

Training doctors in regional Australia increases chances they will work there, study finds
2 years, 1 month ago

Training doctors in regional Australia increases chances they will work there, study finds

ABC  

Jessica Traves was a city kid, born and bred in the northern suburbs of Brisbane. Key points: A new study shows the more time a medical student spends training in regional Australia, the more likely they are to work there A medical student says the training is better and she loves the lifestyle in a smaller town The number of …

Doctor shortage 'will worsen' as young doctors walk away from general practice
2 years, 6 months ago

Doctor shortage 'will worsen' as young doctors walk away from general practice

ABC  

A Queensland doctor with more than 40 years of experience is warning that Australia's doctor shortage is likely to get worse and that more medical practices could close as graduates abandon general practice as a specialty. A GP says that's because medical professionals with a narrower focus stand to make three or four times as much as GPs The federal …

Medical students need more training opportunities to stay in regions, rural health expert says
2 years, 11 months ago

Medical students need more training opportunities to stay in regions, rural health expert says

ABC  

Medical training embedded in regional Australia is often hailed as the best way to keep doctors in the country, but experts say there is more to it. Key points: Around 5 per cent of medical students who have completed Monash's graduate-entry medical training have jobs in Gippsland Educators say more specialist training is required in regional areas The RACGP is …

Federal funding for rural health placements as industry calls for greater student retention
3 years, 1 month ago

Federal funding for rural health placements as industry calls for greater student retention

ABC  

A South Australian university has announced plans to expand its student placement program in the Riverland in a push to ease the region's health workforce shortages. Key points: More students will be placed in healthcare settings as part of the RHMT program's expansion Workforce shortages in the Riverland have resulted in some hospitals running with reduced services The National Rural …

Treating generations of one family – why Emily has chosen to study medicine in regional Australia
3 years, 1 month ago

Treating generations of one family – why Emily has chosen to study medicine in regional Australia

ABC  

Among the thousands of university students starting their first year of studies across Australia is a special cohort in Dubbo, studying medicine in the regional New South Wales city. Key points: Twenty-four students to are complete four years of medical studies in Dubbo Training doctors regionally encourages them to stay in regional locations The Rural Doctors Association of Australia says …

COVID-19 vaccination rollout highlights stark reality of regional GP shortages
3 years, 6 months ago

COVID-19 vaccination rollout highlights stark reality of regional GP shortages

ABC  

For many Australians the shortage of doctors outside metropolitan areas means booking an appointment with a GP – including for a COVID jab – is far from easy. Key points: GPs are the key to vaccinating Australia's non-metro population, but they are already pushed to the limit Regional doctors are working overtime to care for patients but say it feels …

New research says doctors need stronger connections to keep them in rural areas
3 years, 8 months ago

New research says doctors need stronger connections to keep them in rural areas

ABC  

Dr Juliza Jahimin moved to Far North Queensland to begin working in a regional hospital four years ago. Key points: The study found doctors need longer placement times in rural areas to build a connection Accessing specialist support and training is a big challenge for those working in remote areas Professional satisfaction was similar for physicians in remote and metropolitan …

Regional GP clinics at risk of closure due to 'critical' doctor shortage
3 years, 9 months ago

Regional GP clinics at risk of closure due to 'critical' doctor shortage

ABC  

A NSW South Coast-based doctor is on the brink of closing her practice due to a critical GP shortage sweeping through regional Australia. Key points: GPs say they are struggling to keep clinics open due to a chronic shortage of doctors Experts say the shortage is due to some areas not being eligible to employ overseas-trained doctors The federal government …

Rural doctor shortage linked to complex medical system for graduate doctors, new research finds
6 years ago

Rural doctor shortage linked to complex medical system for graduate doctors, new research finds

ABC  

A program designed to streamline rural health training for post-graduate doctors is being proposed as the latest idea to overcome the shortage of doctors in regional areas. "In an ideal world, the constant cost-shifting that occurs between state and federal could probably go some of the way in alleviating issues we all have, all over Australia, in attracting and retaining …

Rural doctor shortage will not be solved by overseas doctors, GPs tell Federal Government
6 years ago

Rural doctor shortage will not be solved by overseas doctors, GPs tell Federal Government

ABC  

Despite more locally trained Australian doctors than ever before, governments are still turning to overseas-trained doctors to fill the general practitioner gaps in regional and remote Australia. Under Federal Government requirements introduced this month, overseas-trained doctors must obtain a Health Workforce Certificate from a Rural Workforce Agency to get a visa. AMA WA president Omar Khorshid says Australia needs to …

Doctors in rural areas in short supply as clinics look to 'corporates' for GP solution
6 years, 9 months ago

Doctors in rural areas in short supply as clinics look to 'corporates' for GP solution

ABC  

Medical clinics in Tasmania are on a knife's edge as they struggle to recruit general practitioners outside the major centres, a group of rural doctors has warned. "We tried lots of different things but this seemed to be the only way of making sure that Scottsdale had a viable medical centre into the future," Dr Burch said. "What we're seeing …

Budding GPs get a taste of bush life to combat remote doctor shortage
6 years, 11 months ago

Budding GPs get a taste of bush life to combat remote doctor shortage

ABC  

A unique medical program in the Northern Territory has found a simple way to combat a shortage of skilled GPs willing to work in the bush. Giving students a taste of bush life early in their training means doctors are more likely to take up positions in remote areas later on in their careers, according to Flinders University. The Northern …

Rural doctors head to the farm to learn first hand what they might encounter on the job
7 years, 11 months ago

Rural doctors head to the farm to learn first hand what they might encounter on the job

ABC  

Running a general practice clinic in rural Australia is unique due to the extraordinary hazards facing farmers and their communities. "I have been working in busy city emergency departments for the past four years and so coming out here and getting to know the different challenges of rural medicine has been eye opening." "We have much less access to the …

Change of culture needed to attract 'home grown' doctors to rural WA
8 years, 1 month ago

Change of culture needed to attract 'home grown' doctors to rural WA

ABC  

Western Australia's medical community is hoping a Federal Government commitment will encourage graduating "homegrown" doctors to take up and retain postings in rural and remote areas. Australia relies "too much" on doctors from overseas Dr Kirk said he understood part of the $93million commitment would address that development of support services for doctors who choose to work in remote areas …

Government to assess number of Australia's student medical places amid shortfall of rural doctors
8 years, 3 months ago

Government to assess number of Australia's student medical places amid shortfall of rural doctors

ABC  

The Federal Government is ruling out supporting any new medical school places, as it launches another effort to increase the number of doctors working in regional and remote areas. Key points: Australia predicted to have thousands of excess medical practitioners by 2030 Despite several proposals, Government will not support new medical school places AMA and RDAA want greater focus on …

Rural doctors call for more generalist nurses and allied health professionals in the bush
9 years ago

Rural doctors call for more generalist nurses and allied health professionals in the bush

ABC  

Rural doctors are calling for nurses and allied health professionals to be trained as generalists to tackle the inequality in health outcomes for rural and remote people. The Rural Doctors Association of Australia said despite government intervention in addressing staffing shortages in country towns, people living in the regional areas still had worse health outcomes than their city counterparts. "The …

Rural patients waiting up to eight weeks to see a GP, doctors use new methods to provide care
9 years ago

Rural patients waiting up to eight weeks to see a GP, doctors use new methods to provide care

ABC  

Patients in rural Australia with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, are waiting as long as eight weeks to get an appointment with a GP. Key points: Patients may wait up to eight weeks to see the doctor of their choice in rural and regional areas Patients having to travel four hours a day for specialist appointments GP clinic in Scone, …

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