The release of the 2021 Medical Training Survey this month strongly demonstrates that Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) registrars continue to lead the nation in providing a skilled medical workforce in rural, remote, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 

The survey, which was undertaken by the Medical Board of Australia and Ahpra, includes feedback from more than 21,000 doctors in training throughout Australia, including ACRRM registrars. 

ACRRM President Dr Sarah Chalmers says this year’s results show our registrars are again the most likely to be training in rural areas, planning to continue working in rural practice, and seeking to work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare. 

“Compared to the average for general practice trainees, ACRRM registrars are 35% more likely to be interested in rural practice, and 16% more likely to be interested in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practice,” Dr Chalmers adds. 

“They are also more likely than other general practice trainees to be interested in supporting medical teaching and research in the future. 

“As the only College program entirely dedicated to rural and remote workforce outcomes, the College was buoyed by the news that 80% of ACRRM registrars indicate they would recommend their rural training position to colleagues. 

“However, the survey also highlights just how hard our registrars are working for their rural and remote communities and the College will continue to advocate with government for better support for their training and their practice to keep them doing what they do,” Dr Chalmers says. 

The survey indicates that ACRRM registrars’ weekly working hours were above the national average for all doctors in training and they were 10% more likely to indicate COVID-19 has negatively impacted their workload. They are 16% more likely than general practice trainees on average to report a heavy or very heavy workload and 17% more likely to report that their job responsibilities are impacting their ability to meet their training requirements. 

“ACRRM will use the feedback from this survey to help improve support services to registrars and supervisors,” Dr Chalmers explains. 

“Feedback is especially important as the College expands and has a direct relationship with AGPT registrars transitioning to College-led training by February 2023. 

“The College takes on board the Medical Board’s recognition that bullying, harassment, discrimination and racism in the workplace continue to be serious issues for doctors in training. 

“It will be a priority for the College to use its expanded capacity to support registrars and training practices, to further promote positive cultures in the workplaces in which our registrars train. 

“We recognise and acknowledge the work our amazing registrars and their supervisors and training practices are doing to support their communities to build rural health services for the future,” Dr Chalmers says. 

ENDS 

The Medical Training Survey is a confidential, national, profession-wide survey of all doctors in training in Australia. For more information, click here.

For further information or interviews, please contact ACRRM marketing and communications manager Petrina Smith at p.smith@acrrm.org.au, 0414 820 847 or 1800 223 226.