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More training places needed for today's new doctors
AMA Victoria Vice President Dr Stephen Parnis today welcomed the state’s 623 new doctors to the public hospital system but warned the shortage of specialist doctors would persist until the Baillieu Government increased the number of specialist training places.
"This year we have a record number of new doctors beginning work in our hospitals and given the current workforce shortages and the state’ s growing population, there has never been a better time for this boost," he said.
"These doctors will make an extremely valuable contribution to our hospitals and will provide much-needed support to experienced doctors who are working in the over-stretched public hospital system."
But despite a shortage of specialist doctors and a large number of medical graduates, Dr Parnis said there weren’t enough training places for these graduates to become surgeons, physicians, GPs, psychiatrist, pathologists and other specialists.
"When a medical student graduates, they must undertake a one year internship in the public hospital system. They are then eligible to apply for a specialist training position or gain further experience in the hospital system," Dr Parnis explained.
"We’ve got the patient demand for extra specialists and we’ve got the supply of doctors. Now the Baillieu Government needs to commit to extra specialist training places so all graduates have the option of becoming a specialist."
AMA Victoria has put a proposal to the Baillieu Government to increase the number of training places by allowing doctors to train in private hospitals, community health centres and Aboriginal health services, rather than just public hospitals.
The proposal also includes measures to encourage recently retired specialists to return to the public hospital system as part-time educators and mentors, to alleviate the shortage of experienced specialists to teach and train the new generation of doctors
"Increasing the number of specialist training places is essential to ensure there are enough experienced doctors working in our health system in the future," Dr Parnis said.
"If we don’t find solutions to the shortage of specialist teachers and mentors, and increase the number of specialist training places, future waits for elective surgery and emergency care will become even longer."
Victoria’s 623 new doctors begin work today in public hospitals across the state. The number of interns is up from 557 last year and will rise again in 2012.
The distribution of intern places, by parent hospital, is as follows:
|
Albury/Wodonga Health |
2 |
|
Alfred Health |
52 |
|
Austin Health/ Northern Health |
102 |
|
Ballarat Health |
23 |
|
Barwon Health |
37 |
|
Bendigo Health |
18 |
|
Eastern Health |
62 |
|
Gippsland Rural Consortium |
5 |
|
Goulburn Valley Health |
25 |
|
Melbourne Health |
71 |
|
Mildura Base |
3 |
|
Peninsula Health |
42 |
|
Southern Health |
75 |
|
St Vincent’s Health |
53 |
|
Western Health |
55 |
|
Total |
623 |
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