Geelong producing more graduate doctors than available places: Dr training shortfall ‘critical’

By John Van Klaveren
A SHORTAGE of post-graduate training opportunities is creating a doctor shortage in Geelong, according to a Deakin University leader.
Medical school head Professor Brendan Crotty said the shortage had become a “critical issue”.
“Our philosophy is to train them local and keep them local,” Prof Crotty said.
“The piece of the jigsaw that’s missing is local post-graduate training and we’re keen to establish that locally.
“If you send graduates off to the big city for post-graduate training they’re less likely to come back. If we can offer medical schooling, internship and post-graduate training locally a good number will stay.”
Prof Crotty said the addition of Deakin’s doctor school had given Victoria one of the highest rates of medical graduates in the world.
“There’s been discussion about new medical schools in Victoria and interstate but we don’t actually need more medical students – those numbers have doubled in the past seven years.
“But we do need to double the number of post-graduate places. We have a real opportunity to deliver post-graduate training, direct to the regions where they are most needed.
“All we need is the specialty colleges to approve post-graduate programs.”
Australian Medical Association Victoria president Dr Stephen Parnis said he shared Prof Crotty’s concerns.
“It’s becoming more urgent because it’s only now State Govern-ment finally acknowledges that more training capacity has to be created now,” Dr Parnis said.
“We’re only taking our medical students halfway then leaving them in limbo.”
Dr Parnis said Victoria already had 169 more medical school graduates than internship places available.
“It’s a waste of training resources. There’s a disconnect between federal and state governments matching medical graduates with junior doctor training places.
“Shortfalls of doctors, particularly in regional areas like Geelong, will become more prevalent.”
Dr Parnis said a Health Workforce Australia report had found that Australia would face a shortage of 2701 doctors by 2025.
“The report identified that this is a glaring problem,” he said.