Rural Med Schools, Placements Seek To Address Doctor Shortages In AU Rural medical schools and doctor assignments to the country are becoming more prevalent across Australia, a move that the country’s health sector is hoping could help address doctor shortages in remote locations. These trends are part of what appears to be a cultural shift where both doctors and institutions are pursuing more medical professionals to work in rural areas to accommodate healthcare needs in those regions. Medical schools such as the University of New South Wales now offer medical education opportunities for students through rural medical schools. Training in general practice, psychiatry, and emergency medicine are the only ones currently available in these institutions, with medical experts hoping more specialty training is covered in the future. Other medical schools are also encouraging young medical practitioners to consider placements in rural areas. A University of Queensland research in 2023 showed that medical students undergoing 12-week placements in rural areas are around seven times more likely to end up working in remote locations. New South Wales today has three locations that offer full medical degrees for aspiring doctors. This is a win for the medical field, as NSW has not been able to offer opportunities for studying medicine rurally until 2017. The move is also a push towards addressing concerns stated in a 2022 inquiry into NSW regional health, wherein witnesses in rural areas expressed concerns about having to wait “weeks and months” to see GPs and specialists.