Why is there a shortage of doctors in rural areas?

Why is there a shortage of doctors in rural areas?

A rapidly aging population, coupled with high costs to entry for medical school and increased barriers to immigration for foreign-born doctors, means that we will soon face a shortage of doctors everywhere; rural counties are just the canary in the coal mine.

How many doctors are in rural Australia?

Of the 73,980 clinicians: 25,056 worked as GPs; • 9,576 worked as hospital non-specialists (eg career medical officers and doctors finishing their training (eg interns)); • 24,475 worked as specialists; • 12,491 worked as specialists in training; and • 2,382 worked as ‘other medical practitioner’.

How much does a rural GP earn in Australia?

Once a GP, you can make around $300,000 a year without sacrificing your lifestyle, working 9 to 5, five days a week. As a rural GP you can earn even more, with government incentive schemes for GP Registrars training in rural and remote areas and financial incentives for new GPs practising in these areas.

What doctors are in demand in Australia?

Medical roles in high demand in Australia

  • General Practitioner. For many years there has been a strong demand for general practitioners in Australia, and that still remains the case.
  • Psychiatrist. Perhaps the fastest growing medical speciality in the country, if not the world.
  • Resident Medical Officer.
  • Registered Nurse.

Why does Australia have a shortage of doctors?

“The issue in relation to GP shortage is that we have an ageing GP population and have difficulty replacing them once they retire,” Power says. Doctor Marco Giuseppin, chairman of the Australian Medical Association Council of Rural Doctors, says people have delayed necessary health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Which medical specialties are most in demand Australia?

Significant career opportunities

  • Addiction medicine – [Non-metro]
  • Anatomical pathology (including Cytopathology) (Pathology) – [Non-metro]
  • Chemical pathology (Pathology)
  • Clinical genetics (Physician)
  • Forensic pathology (Pathology) – [Metro], [Non-metro]
  • General pathology and Genetics – [Non-metro]

Why are there few doctors?

Developing nations often have physician shortages because of limited numbers and capacity of medical schools and because of international migration since physicians can usually earn much more money and enjoy better working conditions in other countries.

Why rural medicine is important?

Since people living in rural areas are deeply affected by the physician shortage, you would be making a significant difference in their lives by practicing in these areas. As a medical professional, you have skills that can be lifesaving; practicing in rural locations amplifies the number of lives you can impact.

How does living in a rural area affect health?

Rural residents report less leisure-time physical activity and lower seatbelt use than their urban counterparts. They also have higher rates of poverty, less access to healthcare, and are less likely to have health insurance. All of these factors can lead to poor health outcomes.

How can we improve rural doctors?

How to fix the shortage of country doctors

  1. Select medical students with rural backgrounds and provide rural immersion options for them.
  2. Increase the number of trainees in general practice and other generalist specialities to boost the uptake of rural practice as a career.

What are the health problems in rural areas?

Contagious, infectious and waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, amoebiasis, typhoid, infectious hepatitis, worm infestations, measles, malaria, tuberculosis, whooping cough, respiratory infections, pneumonia and reproductive tract infections dominate the morbidity pattern, especially in rural areas.