Doctor shortfall 'looming in Australia'

4 Oct 2012, 4:04 pm   -   Source: Andy Park, SBS
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A funding row between state and federal governments is stopping foreign-born, Australian university-trained doctors from completing their training in Australian hospitals, writes Andy Park.

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After years of intense study at a cost of up to $300,000 dollars, it's an uncertain future for some international medicine graduates.

"I don't mind going anywhere, my first priority is just to be registered," says recent UNSW medicine graduate from Indonesia, Stephanie Andriputri.

They are some of the 182 international would-be doctors, left without a public hospital internship needed to start practicing.

Many, who would head to bush hospitals, are being forced to look even further afield.

Blaise Wardle, a Canadian medicine student, says his visa runs out in April next year and without an internship, he can’t complete his studies.

"I have some options, I can apply to Canada this year,”

“The chances of getting a job are still not 100 per cent but it's better than none," he said.

"Some people are planning to go to Singapore because Singapore is heavily recruiting doctors, ” Ms Andriputri said.
  
The states have so far rejected the federal government's offer to fund 100 hospital internships, in exchange of having them pay for another 82 places to make up the shortfall.

The COAG stalemate is not helping a shortage of doctors for Australia aging population.

"There is definitely a doctor shortage. I think it just comes down to money," BMR Wardle said.

“It's not that we’re not needed, it's just that there's a limited budget and no one wants to pick up the tab".
 
A tab that has fallen between the cracks of government.

In 2012, more than 3,500 students will graduate from Medicine, an increase of more than 500 from last year.

While the universities are driving this free-market growth, the public system is not keeping pace with internship places to meet demand.

Some are suggesting the public system is not the only way to integrate graduates.
 
Australian Medical Students Association President James Churchill says one of the options is expansion into the private sector.

“We really do need to consider alternative settings other than just the tradition model”

“The federal government has committed $10 million for one 100 places in the private system, so it’s essential that the states come to the table with their share of the funding,”

For Mr Wardle, who is facing completion of his training abroad after living in Australia for the last four years, the problem must be solved.

"Losing 180 medical graduates this year that are trained in the Australian system, when Australia is importing hundreds of doctors every year [is] unbelievable actually,” he said.

The current stand-off also has some concerned about the damage it might do to the $3 billion education industry.

As the Facebook group, set up by international students still without internship offers reads: "No scholarships, no internships, don’t come here”.

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Hospitals , Public Health , Andy Park SBS

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Your Comments

Missing another value of internship - medical registration

Rachel - from Ryde, 8 months ago

I think what people are also forgetting to mention is the necessity to have registration prior to even venturing overseas. There are many countries these students might look at, but may be prohibited from applying due to lacking "full medical registration." This registration is only granted after an acceptable internship year. They are stuck in a catch 22, where they are unable to work (no intern jobs), and stuck without registration.

in response to john from launceston

Joe - from Randwick, 8 months ago

i get where you're coming from, but the problem here is not lower-paying jobs but rather no jobs at all. there've been cases where international medical graduates offered to do the intern year for free and were still unable to get a job. another difference is that in other fields, new graduates get to deal with a wide range of private employers, they can just keep lowering their expectations till they get employed. in contrast, a medical graduate has to deal with the state.

This Corporate Incompetance is happening in every job field

Jason - from Sydney, 8 months ago

What is the point of stating "skills shortages" when no company or employer in general wants to train staff? Put simply there is no skills shortage - there never was. Just saying we need a particular skilled staff does not mean they miraculously pop out your backside - they have to be trained both academically and "on the job" if there are little or no intern places then obviously there's the problem. At UNSW (shown above) the uni assists with intern places BEFORE graduation - remember the GFC

Should medical graduates be treated different?

John - from Launceston, 8 months ago

While I am sympathetic, I feel that these students should wake up and realise that is how the real world works across many fields. From my personal experience, everybody wants "experienced" workers but nobody really wants to train them. As a consequence, many graduates esp. international students end up in lower-paying jobs and their jobs does not necessarily match their qualifications. Should medical graduates be treated different? (I'm not saying yes or no, I'm simply raising the question)

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