Skills in demand in Australian general practice
Australia continues to experience workforce shortage and maldistribution, particularly in rural and remote areas where access to medical services is poor or inadequate.
Over the last decade, recruitment of OTDs has formed a significant part of Australia’s policy to address the medical workforce issue of geographic maldistribution to ensure that communities in rural and remote areas have access to general practice services.
In Australia, the term “general practice” is used to describe the medical specialty that provides primary medical care to individuals, families and their communities. When GPs care for patients within the rural and remote context, a set of additional skills and competencies are generally required in order to provide safe and holistic care for the rural and remote population.
In addition, to ensure quality of professional service, GPs working in Area of Need positions are preferably required to be vocationally recognised (VR) or a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners or the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine for a number of years.
The reality is that many of these positions are taken up by OTDs without VR or fellowship qualifications. These doctors are granted conditional registration by a State or Territory Medical Board and are required to work towards gaining fellowship status within a short period of time.
Depending on the practice and the location, GPs (whether Australian trained or overseas trained) seeking to work in rural and remote Australia will be required to have some of the skills/qualifications below:
• Minimum of two years post internship hospital based training
• Minimum of four years postgraduate medical experience and two years GP experience
• General practice experience in Australia
• Eligibility for appointment as Visiting Medical Officer at the public hospital in the area of practice
• Experience in Accident and Emergency conditions and competency in critical care skills, particularly those specifically relevant to rural medicine or isolated areas, or completion of an Early Management of Severe Trauma qualification (or similar), or have advanced life support skills
• Obstetrics skills/qualification, or extensive experience in obstetric practice, such that the doctor is capable of managing labour, delivery and caesarean section if required, independently
• Anaesthetics skills/qualifications
• Extensive experience in surgery
• Postgraduate experience in a wide range of areas particularly general medicine, women’s health, paediatrics, dermatology and mental health problems
• Experience in Family Medicine, Men’s and Women’s Health, Chronic Disease and Pain Management, Child Health, Immunisations and Aged Care
• In practices situated within or in close proximity to the indigenous population, the ability to examine, diagnose and develop treatment plans for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and/or people ‘at risk’ in relation to health status, and to ensure that the indigenous cultural context is respected and reflected in all activities
• Skills necessary to provide service to nursing home residents and aged care nursing home-type patients
• Ability to assist with clinical supervision of GP registrars, medical students, or practice nurse, if necessary
The team at Aster Medical Services will match your skills as closely as possible to the requirements of vacant positions across Australia. Contact us today!
Related Pages
Am I eligible?
GP Pathways
National Accreditation and Registration Scheme
Medical FAQ
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