AMA welcomes more training places for doctors
30/06/2008(4:50 PM)
Government plans to create more training places for doctors have been welcomed by the Australian Medical Association (AMA).
According to AMA Doctors In Training spokesperson Dr Alex Markwell, by 2012 the number of medical school graduates will total around 3,000 a year - double the amount a few years ago - which could see training resources overwhelmed.
Proposals announced recently by health minister Nicola Roxon to solve the problem include the recruitment of private hospitals and general practices to help train the growing number of medical graduates.
"Further investments in training in the public sector and new investment in other settings such as general practice and private hospitals are vital to ensure every graduate can complete his or her training," Dr Markwell said.
Dr Rosanna Capolingua, the AMA's president said the organisation was pleased Ms Roxon had "acknowledged the importance of high-quality training for medical graduates".
Meanwhile, Dr Rakesh Mohindra, chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners South Australian and Northern Territory Faculty has recently claimed that patients in rural South Australia will lose out as cuts to health provision as GPs and nurses move to more urban areas.
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