The Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) is calling for urgent action to create and fund additional internship places before time runs out.
AMSA President, Mr James Churchill, said that with less than four months before 2013 internships commence, it is staggering that approximately 235 Australian-trained medical graduates are yet to gain a position.
“While Governments have publicly supported the idea of providing internships for all medical graduates and committed to move quickly to expand the number of intern places, time is running out to solve this internship crisis,” Mr Churchill said.
The Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Councils has recently issued a statement highlighting that a minimum of three months is required to accredit new internship positions, which is necessary to ensure doctors receive quality training in their first year of practice.
“With 2013 interns due to start work in January, this deadline is fast approaching. Yet to date there has been no announcement of where these positions will be created or who will fund them,” Mr Churchill said.
“A great deal of valuable teaching resources and public money is invested in each Australian-trained medical student and it would be a blatant waste of tax-payer dollars to see these medical graduates unable to work as doctors.
“It is madness that we have hundreds of medical graduates desperate to serve the community, and Australian communities so desperately wanting more doctors, but the Government is yet to commit to funding the necessary intern positions.
“The extent of the shortfall is known and the time for action is now. With each passing week, the chances of achieving a solution to this crisis become more remote,” he said.
AMSA calls for Governments to show leadership by committing the funding necessary for the creation of sufficient internships for all Australian-trained applicants.
AMSA’s web page on the internship crisis, available at www.amsa.org.au/internship-
Media Contact
Zoe Stewart
0435 052 570
publicrelations@amsa.org.au