Thriving Rural Doctors: Place-Based Solutions to Medical Workforce Challenges in Remote, Rural and Regional Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand – Position Paper

This Position Paper sets out Medical Deans’ vision to build and realise interest for medical careers in and with remote, rural and regional communities, and the conditions required to maintain this interest over the long term.

Access to a well-resourced medical workforce is key to ensuring remote, rural and regional communities receive equitable healthcare. Despite ongoing investment and innovation in rural medical education in Australia and New Zealand, access to medical practitioners still decreases as remoteness increases. In this paper, we recommend reforms to increase the appeal to medical students and junior doctors for a rewarding career practising in remote, rural and regional areas. These reforms need to account for the entire training continuum, from entry into medical school, prevocational and vocational training, to post-fellowship opportunities. 

Central to these recommendations is the need for reform to be place-based: driven by the people, needs and advantages of the local community. This paper calls for an increase in flexibility to support local communities to deliver training and opportunities. This paper also recognises the need for vibrant rural communities, and calls for ongoing investment to maintain thriving rural areas, in partnership with local communities.