Regional doctor fellowships open but placement support ignored

In the face of critical nationwide shortages in the rural medical workforce, a peak rural medical body has offered fellowships for bush positions while a placement payment scheme has left medical students without much-needed support. The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) has opened applications for its 2026 Rural Generalist Fellowship Program, calling for doctors ready to join one of the most diverse and in-demand roles in medicine. ACRRM President Rod Martin said the diversity of the rural generalist (RG) role is what made the vocation one of the most rewarding and urgently needed medical careers in the country. “Every day is different,” Dr Martin said. “One day you're providing emergency care, the next you're supporting mental health or delivering long-term care to a family you’ve known for years. “RGs do more than general practice - and that’s exactly what (these) communities need.” The ACRRM fellowship is the only national training program built specifically for doctors who want to practise medicine in rural, remote, and First Nations communities, and from day one, registrars train in rural and remote locations and are equipped with the broad skills required to meet complex and varied community needs. However, the future of rural medicine was also dealt a blow last week with a new federal government scheme to pay students on practical placements ignoring those studying medicine. The Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) scheme was launched on 1 July to assist those studying teaching, nursing, midwifery, and social work with their associated practical placements. Although medical students from both city and regional areas are excluded from the CPP, the Rural Doctors Association (RDA) said rural and regional doctors would be hit the hardest from the exclusion. RDA president Raymond Lewandowski said medical students from rural areas were more likely to return to regional areas when qualified. “Sustaining six or seven years of university study with demanding academic requirements as well as completing more than 2000 prac’ placement hours makes it nearly impossible for someone to study medicine without significant financial support, usually from their family,” Dr Lewandowski said. “Many simply can’t afford to pay their way through medical school.” Dr Lewandowski said there was a ‘massive maldistribution’ of doctors which left regional and rural areas chronically short. “It is vitally important for the rural health workforce that students from rural and remote areas are attracted into medicine and that all students are financially supported to complete rural placements. “Many city-based students who would like to try rural practice will understandably not consider a rural placement when there are additional costs involved.” Dr Martin says training more RGs was essential to maintaining access to care. “There are towns where a single well-trained doctor can mean the difference between no healthcare and a fully functioning clinic or hospital.”

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