Junior doctors have recently joined a medical training program which aims to attract young doctors to rural practices and give them practical experience.
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East Grampians Health Service has welcomed eight interns through the Grampians Medical Training program, which is a partnership with Ararat Medical Centre, St John of God Ballarat, and three clinics in Maryborough.
The interns completed their training at various universities in Victoria and interstate and are now working in their first year as doctors.
At East Grampians Health Service, the interns will work on a rotation through the operating theatre and at the Ararat Medical Centre.
Junior Medical Officer Manager Sarah Woodburn said the program is all about the GP rotation and enabling the interns to do everything a rural GP does, including working as a GP obstetrician, anaesthetist and in the hospital.
“The idea is by training doctors in rural areas they are more likely to want to stay and practice in rural areas,” Ms Woodburn said.
“It’s all about increasing our medical workforce for the future.”
East Grampians Health Service has been part of the program for five years, and Ararat Medical Centre has been part of it for two years.
Attracting doctors to rural and regional clinics is an ongoing issue throughout the state.
Rural Workforce Agency Victoria currently lists 41 GP vacancies in Western Victoria, compared with just three for the broader metropolitan region.
Practice manager Garry Hurst said he hoped the program soon bears fruit, as the practice is still facing a doctor shortage.
“Numbers are still quite difficult and we’ve still got lengthy delays with appointments,” he said.
“We’re hoping that by hosting the interns they get a taste of country GP life and consider it as part of their future,” he said.
“We’ve seen the fruit of our Deakin medical students coming back as registrars, so we’re hoping through this program some of the interns will come back too.
“We think the intern program and the training opportunities are a good news story for Ararat and similar areas.”
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