NO PLACE TO GO FOR RURAL MEDICAL STUDENTS
In an article published by Charles Sturt University January 23, medical consultant Emeritus Professor John Dwyer made the claim that rural clinical schools in Australia have failed to increase the number of medical graduates moving to work in rural areas.
The real issue, perhaps overlooked by Professor Dwyer, is a shortage of rural postgraduate
training places to accommodate the growing numbers of medical graduates exposed to rural practice.
Medical graduates report their frustrations that, while they are receiving excellent undergraduate rural clinical training, there are limited opportunities to find a rural postgraduate training pathway.
The Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators (FRAME) represents the 16 universities
funded through the Australian Government’s Rural Clinical Training and Support Program (rural clinical schools and regional medical schools). Our November meeting in Canberra (Professor Dwyer was not present) included a presentation to the Department of Health and Ageing – FRAME: 10 Years of Achievement reporting against each of nine RCTS funding parameters.
In 2012 1224 medical students across Australia undertook a minimum of one year rural clinical
training in 2012. This represented 41.53 per cent of the overall annual medical student intake at the 16 universities. The majority of universities receiving RCTS funding are tracking rural medical graduates to complement the FRAME-Medical Deans medical student outcomes data (MSOD) study. The first tranche of data has been analysed and reported.There is an expanding body of literature that reveals the impacts and outcomes of this important and uniquely Australian policy initiative.
Seven of the 16 universities’ RCS programs have been in existence long enough to report early
graduate outcomes.For example, the University of Western Australia reports 33 per cent RCS graduates work rurally starting at PGY1 and continuing through all postgraduate years up
to PGY8 (last point of contact).
Limited postgraduate funding for rural training places a ceiling on RCS graduates’ career options. Some advances are being reported. In 2012 in Gippsland there were 10 dedicated funded intern training places (not rotating from Melbourne hospitals) and all were filled by Monash RCS graduates. However demand exceeds supply.
Rural Clinical Schools are in a unique position to facilitate postgraduate training in their regions to get the workforce outcomes rural communities require.
Judi Walker
Chairwoman
Federation of Rural Australian
Medical Educators
In an article published by Charles Sturt University January 23, medical consultant Emeritus Professor John Dwyer made the claim that rural clinical schools in Australia have failed to increase the number of medical graduates moving to work in rural areas.
The real issue, perhaps overlooked by Professor Dwyer, is a shortage of rural postgraduate training places to accommodate the growing numbers of medical graduates exposed to rural practice.
Medical graduates report their frustrations that, while they are receiving excellent undergraduate rural clinical training, there are limited opportunities to find a rural postgraduate training pathway.
The Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators (FRAME) represents the 16 universities funded through the Australian Government’s Rural Clinical Training and Support Program (rural clinical schools and regional medical schools). Our November meeting in Canberra (Professor Dwyer was not present) included a presentation to the Department of Health and Ageing – FRAME: 10 Years of Achievement reporting against each of nine RCTS funding parameters.
In 2012 1224 medical students across Australia undertook a minimum of one year rural clinical training in 2012. This represented 41.53 per cent of the overall annual medical student intake at the 16 universities. The majority of universities receiving RCTS funding are tracking rural medical graduates to complement the FRAME-Medical Deans medical student outcomes data (MSOD) study. The first tranche of data has been analysed and reported.There is an expanding body of literature that reveals the impacts and outcomes of this important and uniquely Australian policy initiative.
Seven of the 16 universities’ RCS programs have been in existence long enough to report early graduate outcomes.For example, the University of Western Australia reports 33 per cent RCS graduates work rurally starting at PGY1 and continuing through all postgraduate years up to PGY8 (last point of contact).
Limited postgraduate funding for rural training places a ceiling on RCS graduates’ career options. Some advances are being reported. In 2012 in Gippsland there were 10 dedicated funded intern training places (not rotating from Melbourne hospitals) and all were filled by Monash RCS graduates. However demand exceeds supply.
Rural Clinical Schools are in a unique position to facilitate postgraduate training in their regions to get the workforce outcomes rural communities require.
Judi Walker
Chairwoman
Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators
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on Wednesday, February 6th, 2013 at 8:46 am and is filed under Learning and teaching, Public, School of Rural Health.
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