STEPPING IN AND STEPPING UP EXPANSION OF SPECIALIST TRAINING IN REGIONAL, RURAL, AND REMOTE AREAS Coordinated effort across all medical colleges to address critical shortage of specialists outside major cities
With
Associate Professor Sanjay Jeganathan, Chair
Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC)
AUSTRALIAN HEALTH JOURNAL SEGMENT
Filmed online | April 2025
Australia’s medical colleges are increasing their commitment to regional healthcare by expanding specialist training in regional, rural, and remote areas.
The Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC) is Australia’s peak body representing specialist medical colleges.
Associate Professor Sanjay Jeganathan, Chair of the Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC) states, ”Our rural and regional communities deserve the same access to specialist care as our cities. We’re seeing real results from our colleges’ commitment to rural training.”
A/Prof Jeganathan spoke to Australian Health Journal about progress by Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA).
This expansion reflects a coordinated effort across all medical colleges to address the critical shortage of specialists outside major cities.
The expansion comes as projections show Australia could face a shortage of 5,000 doctors by 2030. While overseas-trained specialists help fill immediate gaps, medical colleges are prioritising sustainable solutions through local training programs.
“We’re building lasting change by training specialists who understand regional communities and are more likely to stay long-term,” said A/Prof Jeganathan.
Source: Written by AUDIENCED from CPMC media release (February 2025)
-
Sense of service and pride in uniform
This ANZAC Day 2023, Australian Health Journal releases an interview with Group Captain Kath Stein MACN, Director of Defence Force Nursing with the Royal Australian Air Force.
She talks about many masks, aside from PPE, that leadership and all nurses need to wear. Currently there is work underway on a new capability description on what a nurse brings to every level in the nursing defence structure. The advice Group Captain Stein, imparts for new recruits and those interested in joining Defence Force Nursing is to take every opportunity that arises. This is evident in her progression through her career.
-
Allied Health Building Leadership Experience in Tasmania
A notable program run by Hospitals South is the ABLE program, or Allied Health Building Leadership Experience. This program was created to address the challenge of allied health professionals being seen as a single entity, rather than as individual disciplines, when it comes to leadership and management opportunities. The program is delivered entirely internally, with seminars presented by senior staff and mentorship opportunities for participants to become more effective representatives of allied health in meetings and working groups.
-
Jamie Stanistreet talks Medical Technology
Jamie Stanistreet
Retired Managing Director Medtronic Australia and New Zealand
talks Medical Technology in Australia and the Asia-Pacific
