Latest news with #GPshortage
ABC News
9 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
Eligible medical school candidates turned away in their thousands each year
Medical education experts say the federal government needs to fund more medical school places for local students amid a dire shortage of GPs. The federal Department of Health and Aged Care has forecast that Australia will need a further 8,600 GPs by 2048. Monash University academic teams say that with more funding they could admit more eligible students to be trained in medicine. "We turn away thousands and thousands and thousands of Aussies every year from medical school," Monash University professor and Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand president Michelle Leech said. "They're all smart and they're all good people." Professor Leech said at Monash University's medical school there were 12 to 15 eligible applicants for every single place. In Australia, a student who achieves a 99-plus ATAR scores in the 95th percentile for the medical aptitude test. A competitive percentile is above the 90th percentile. Passing the multi-stage interview process may still not gain qualifications for medical school. Pasindu Bandara is a University of Queensland medical student and founder of Strive Academics, a tutoring company that specialises in helping students get into medical school. "We've seen a lot of students where we feel like they would make great doctors, and they would serve the community well, but one of the different obstacles stops them from doing so," Mr Bandara said. "These are top students, they get the best scores in their schools, they're dux in their schools, they've got heaps of volunteering experience, they give back to their communities, but … on the interview day they don't perform well and they don't get through. "In our last cohort, there was one student with a 99-plus ATAR and a 95th plus percentile score in the UCAT who ended up receiving multiple interview offers but didn't get through that interview stage. "It's for a few different reasons — sometimes students get anxious and they're not ready for an interview-style [or] high stakes day because that's not something high school prepares you for." Mr Bandara also said students who could not afford tutoring were at a disadvantage when it came to applying for medical schools. "Students that can afford this tutoring essentially have one foot in the door in terms of getting a competitive score," he said. The number of medical places for Australian students in universities is controlled by the Commonwealth. But Professor Leech said that number had not grown in the past decade. "The reason I think the Commonwealth has been cautious about expanding places is because over many years we have been getting our medical workforce from overseas," she said. "But it's important to know that international students are funded separately and don't take spots from local students. Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Michael Wright agreed. "For too long, we haven't trained enough GPs in Australia," Dr Wright said. "We've been relying a lot on doctors who did their medical degrees overseas coming here and working, and they've been a great addition to our health system. "But we need to pull our weight and make sure that we do train more GPs." In its latest budget, the federal government announced that from 2026 100 new student positions will be shared between 22 medical schools Australia-wide, per year, increasing to 150 by 2028. "More doctors have joined our healthcare system in the last two years, more than any time in the past decade," a federal government spokesperson said. Experts agree the GP shortage is bad in the cities but was worse in the regions. Aspiring medical students living in regional areas require a lower ATAR than their city peers to get into medicine at university. However, Mr Bandara said the rural quotas for universities were a "broken system". "For example at James Cook University, there's a big focus on rural health, but at the end of the day, a lot of those students preference [city hospitals] for their intern year, and they never end up actually servicing these rural areas." Deakin University is one of only six universities Australia-wide that offer rural medical training end-to-end to encourage regional residents to stay locally. It offers 30 rural training places at its Victorian regional campuses in Warrnambool and Ararat and says it fills those positions every year. Rural Doctors Association of Victoria president Dr Louise Manning said having these "end-to-end" programs and "boosting positions in those programs would be much more likely to deliver some more for our workforce". "Hopefully [they encourage] rural general practitioners rather than putting all these spots in the cities," she said. Dr Manning said affordable and available accommodation for doctors, availability of childcare services, and support for partners of doctors were factors affecting regional recruitment. Melbourne University declined to say how many students it turns away from medical school each year.
Associated Press
15-05-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Chichester Private Health Experts, Meyer Clinic, Expand Access to Bridge Gaps Between NHS and Specialist Care
05/15/2025, Chichester // KISS PR Brand Story PressWire // Amid continuing concerns about shortages of GPs, appointment slots, and diagnostic services, Meyer Clinic, a private clinic based in Chichester, has invested in extending its capacity. It offers varied health-focused treatments, tests, and specialist hormonal analytics, with private GP services available two to three days per week. Local politicians have labelled the lack of GP spaces in Sussex a crisis. Insufficient GPs or surgeries, unprecedented pressure on local health services, and limited resources and facilities are spurring more and more people to turn to private alternatives to seek the help they need. Understanding the Challenges in Public Sector Healthcare in West Sussex Part of the demand for private medical support services relates to availability. Many GP surgeries have absorbed patients from closing practices, meaning one professional may be trying to accommodate the needs of huge caseloads, with the average appointment time for those that can find one as little as 9.2 minutes. West Sussex is only one of the many badly hit regions, with 2,000 to 2,499 patients to every individual GP according to BBC data, contributing to the record-low NHS satisfaction rating of 34% - and one in six patients is left waiting over two weeks for an appointment. A secondary difficulty is that, while registering with a GP and managing to secure an appointment can be tricky, the resources available are limited. Brief consultations may be far from sufficient to enable a patient to discuss their concerns, review their medical history, and make key decisions about the tests, medications, procedures, or referrals that may be appropriate for them. Scarcity in resources and funding can mean patients feel unseen and unheard. Many decide to take their health and well-being into their own hands if, for instance, they are unhappy with a prescription that isn't wholly suited to them or haven't been able to find any real resolution to ongoing challenges that are impacting their well-being, energy levels or overall health. The Emergence of Private Health and Wellness Specialists to Reinforce Access to Healthcare Separate research shows that as many as 75% of all adults under 34 consider private healthcare a positive and accessible alternative, and four in ten people aged 18 to 24 already have visited a private practitioner or clinic. This is thought to be down to a proactive attitude and search for immediacy, with younger demographics less prepared to settle for long waiting times, be satisfied with a brief appointment slot, or accept that limited support is an acceptable outcome. Meyer Clinic, an award-winning team providing a range of services from aesthetics and beauty treatments to well-being and hormonal balancing therapies and medical testing services, is one of those who has stepped in to ensure there is always a readily available, professional, and high-quality alternative. Dr Annelize Meyer, Clinic Founder and Medical Director of Meyer Clinic says, ' Our approach, across our specialisms, expertise and clinical know-how is on holistic, 360-degree healthcare and individualised support. That is because addressing an issue or concern in isolation may ignore underlying factors or have a limited effect on a patient's long-term well-being, self-esteem and welfare. For example, a client with a digestive complaint may benefit from a cohesive healthcare strategy that blends hormonal, intolerance, and allergy testing with advanced cancer screenings, microbiome checks, and in-person consultations to explore any potential autoimmune condition that could be contributing to their symptoms. This philosophy not only means our clinicians and practitioners have an excellent chance of uncovering the key reasons for a complaint or concern but can also create ongoing support services, therapies, and follow-up testing. We ensure every client is supported and can continue to consult an independent, dedicated professional to help them restore balance, health, and wellness.' Medical and Healthcare Services Offered by Meyer Clinic's Chichester Practice As a CQC-regulated provider, the clinic provides a broad scope of services, with a focus on preventative treatments, cutting-edge diagnostics, and customised treatment plans. Meyer Clinic has also recently expanded its team, welcoming a registered GP who offers appointments two days per week with the potential to further extend this to include Saturday consultations. These range from the tests and screening services mentioned to cutting-edge facial and body analytics, nutritional planning, blood testing services, vitamin injections, and IV intravenous drips. Meyer Clinic also offers specific services that blend preventative healthcare with aesthetics, such as screening and removal of moles, targeted treatments to assist with thread veins and hair loss, and injectable therapies to address teeth grinding. Prospective new clients interested in learning more can review a more detailed list of services and medical checks available through Meyer Clinic's website or book an initial consultation to speak to a GP, Dr Meyer or one of the centre's therapists in person or online, according to their preferences. Read more about Meyer Clinic- Private Health and Well-being Centre, Meyer Clinic, Receives Accolade at Menopause in Aesthetics (MiA) Awards About Meyer Clinic Meyer Clinic is a private health, wellbeing and aesthetics clinic in Chichester, helping our patients lead empowered lives by ensuring we take a 360-degree full-body approach to health & wellness. Media Contact: Jemma Parnell 01243 771455
