Medical Students give incentive scheme the tick

PRESS RELEASE

Medical Students give incentive scheme the tick

The New Zealand Medical Students’ Association (NZMSA) today welcomed the Government’s new voluntary bonding scheme. “A scheme that provides debt relief in exchange for working in areas of need will be well received by medical students” says NZMSA President, William Perry.

Medical students are now estimated to graduate with, on average, over $80,000 of debt, which has a large impact on where they work, and the specialty they choose as junior doctors. In a study of New Zealand medical students, two thirds said debt would influence their location of work, and more than a third said it would influence their specialty.

“We believe that graduates will see this debt relief scheme as a good incentive to work in areas of need. This is a positive step – students get the option to get rid of some of their debt and areas of need will become better staffed,” says Mr Perry.

He believes, however, that the process will need constant review. “There will be details that need to be worked on to ensure enough flexibility for junior doctors’ personal and professional requirements.”

The scheme follows increasing pressure for New Zealand to address the health workforce shortages. A WHO report in May last year found that 30% of New Zealand’s doctors leave the country within three years of graduating from medical school.

Mr Perry says the scheme provides a good starting point to address this migration trend, but says the reality is New Zealand is facing a health workforce crisis that extends beyond the currently defined areas of need. “Our reliance on overseas trained doctors leaves the system in a vulnerable position, and we will need to continue to implement ways in which to attract more New Zealand trained doctors to stay in the country,” says Mr Perry.

ENDS

© Scoop Media