Rural practice ‘best training ground’ for doctors

Rural general practice ‘best training ground’ for doctors

The College of GPs has backed a call from the New Zealand Medical Students Association for a fully-funded, 12-month rural undergraduate curriculum.

College President Dr Jonathan Fox said the shortages in rural GP numbers
are the most visible evidence of the workforce problems that trouble
primary health.

“Now that shortage is moving into urban New Zealand as well.”

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners has been working on general practice workforce issues for some time and will shortly take
discussion papers to the Ministry of Health identifying the extent of the
problem.

The College already runs a programme giving rural experience to house
surgeons, and this new undergraduate rural course would create a synergy
with the full general practice registrar training programme run by the
College.

*Rural general practice remains one of the best and most rewarding
environments to train all doctors, not just GPs,” Dr Fox said, agreeing
any such course must be properly funded.

ENDS

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