Australia's specialist medical colleges are implementing changes to their training selection processes to address the chronic shortage of specialist doctors in rural and remote communities.
The Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges, working with the National Rural Health Commissioner, has released new guidelines requiring all specialist medical colleges to prioritise candidates with rural backgrounds and experience when selecting new trainees.
"Too many rural Australians are waiting too long for specialist care, or having to travel hundreds of kilometres to access it," said Associate Professor Sanjay Jeganathan, Chair of CPMC.
"We know that doctors who come from rural areas or have trained in rural settings are far more likely to return and practice in these communities."
Under the new framework, medical colleges will systematically recognise and reward rural experience when selecting new specialist trainees.
The initiative establishes standardised criteria recognising candidates who spent significant childhood years in rural areas, medical students who completed 12+ months of rural placements, and junior doctors who gained experience in rural hospitals
