For decades, significant energy and effort has been thrown at enticing consultant specialists to consider careers in rural and regional centres to promote better health outcomes for our communities – high quality healthcare delivered close to patients’ homes.
In spite of these considerable efforts, rural specialists are still subjected to “Survival of the fittest” phenomena.
An expert panel and facilitated Q&A discussion will consider what other solutions can and should be considered to promote and enhance rural and remote clinical specialty medicine to trainees and future rural specialists so that rural specialists do indeed survive through:
• Commonwealth and state/territory government jurisdictional issues, including who funds what and how they collaborate
• the training coalface (impact of inter- and intra-college relationships and lack of real consensus and commitment to rural training on prospective rural specialists choosing their speciality, pathway and surviving training programs - sponsorship or mentorship?)
• lack of support to maintain a practice (public, private or a combination) and undertake continuing professional development
• changes in clinical practice (It’s a virtual world!)”
• family commitments and challenges
• climate challenges in rural and remote Australia - bushfires, floods, pandemics.
• …and a whole lot more!