Uni of Wollongong says its medical grads are more likely to work in the bush

The University of Wollongong says its graduate doctors are more likely to work in regional areas, and relieve doctor shortages, than other medical graduates.

The University of Wollongong says its medical graduates are more likely to work in regional areas.

The University of Wollongong says its graduate doctors are more likely to work in regional areas, and relieve doctor shortages there, than the average Australian medical graduate.

A paper published in The Australian Journal of Rural Health found that nearly one-third of UOW medical graduates are working in regional areas up to a decade after graduation, a number which is on par with the proportion of the Australian population in regional areas.

The doctor shortage in the bush has so alarmed government that it is reviewing Medicare and examining how to deliver more medical services in regional areas.

Lead author of the paper Colin Cortie, a researcher in UOW’s Graduate School of Medicine, said the findings showed that the university’s effort to boost the number of doctors in regional and rural areas was making a difference.

“The UOW graduate medical program is rurally focused, and the students know what they are signing up for when they enrol,” said David Garne, associate clinical dean rural at UOW’s Graduate School of Medicine.

The paper used data from the Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand medical schools’ outcomes database. UOW said the database showed its graduates are more likely to be older and have a partner, dependent children, or other dependents. They were also more likely to come from a rural background and have strong connections to a rural community.

“We give a positive weighting to applicants with a rural background and 70 per cent of UOW students spend a full year of clinical training in rural communities, an experience that prepares them for the rewards and challenges of practicing in these regions and opening their eyes to the benefits of living in these areas,” Professor Garne said.

UOW also said its medical graduates are more likely to become general practitioners than medical graduates from other universities. It said 42 per cent of UOW graduates specialises as GPs, compared to 28 per cent of graduates from other universities, and the latter number has been steadily declining.