More must be done to ensure the booming number of medical graduates have access to adequate internship placements according to a report published in the Medical Journal of Australia.


The report, authored by Associate Professor Catherine Joyce from Monash University’s Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine, the number of medical graduates, found that the number of medical graduates is projected to increase by almost 50 per cent to 4000 by 2016, and new approaches will be needed to find them all internship places.

 

Associate Professor Joyce said that bottlenecks in progressing graduates through the training system was one of a number of policy and planning issues that must be addressed if Australians expect to continue to enjoy the current standard of care.

 

The number of medical graduates doubled between 2000 and 2010 to 2733, and this is expected to rise to 4000 over the next four years," Associate Professor Joyce said.

 

"To cater for these increases, intern places will need to increase by 1000 over that period, an increase which will require a more flexible approach that includes primary care and private sector placements, in addition to those at public hospitals. In the current model, some graduates are already finding it difficult to obtain a placement and this situation is likely to worsen." 

 

The analysis showed that the increases in doctors entering the workforce were accompanied by a decline in the average hours worked by Australian doctors.

 

"Between 1999 and 2009 the average hours worked by doctors decreased from 45.6 to 42.2 per week. Effectively, that's 6000 fewer full-time equivalent doctors in the workforce," Associate Professor Joyce said.

 

"Doctors are increasingly influenced by the desire for work-life balance and this is reflected in reduced working hours, almost across the board."

 

The article also warns that a large cohort of highly experienced doctors are approaching retirement age, which is expected to create shortages in various specialised fields, including psychiatry and rural general practice.