Internship shortage at ‘crisis point’

Filed in: News » 2010 » 08 » Internship Shortage At Crisis »

Website: http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/articles/3E/0C06BF3E.asp

Date posted: 25.08.10

As quoted from Australian doctor:

By Michael East

THE shortage of medical internships has reached “crisis point” with many medical graduates facing the prospect of missing out on a placement this year, the AMA warns.

The state governments in NSW, Queensland and Tasmania are struggling with the influx of medical students and are not expected to offer intern places to all applicants this year.

In NSW alone, more than 100 graduates failed to get internships in public hospitals in the first round of placement, while in Tasmania 90 applicants are fighting for 70 intern positions.

At the top of the list to miss out are overseas, full-fee-paying medical graduates, who pay up to $200,000 to complete their medical degree and have been given the lowest level of priority in the system.

AMA president Dr Andrew Pesce said governments had to start investing in infrastructure, fund more supervisors, and utilise settings beyond public hospitals to make sure that students and graduates get hands-on clinical experience with patients.

“To illustrate the challenge, in 2009 there were 2243 intern positions across the country, which falls well short of the 3500 positions that are needed in 2013,” Dr Pesce said.

“Unless we devote more resources to medical training after medical school, the reality is that, as graduate numbers grow, more and more graduates will miss out on an intern place and be forced to look overseas to complete their training. Given our current workforce shortages, this is an enormous waste of our investment in boosting medical school places.”

The AMA’s concerns have been echoed by some of the biggest medical schools, which have already forewarned that that the national shortage of internships would have severe implications for the future medical workforce.

 

Last modified: August 27, 2010 1:34 AM

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