Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan MP has condemned the Commonwealth Government’s decision to exclude medical students from its new Commonwealth Prac Payment scheme, calling it “a shameful betrayal of the next generation of rural doctors.”
The updated scheme, announced last week, provides financial support for students completing mandatory practical placements, but explicitly excludes medical students, despite the fact that medical placements are among the longest, most expensive, and most disruptive of any profession.
Mr Moylan said the exclusion would hit regional communities hardest.
“This decision is mindboggling; it is a slap in the face to every young person in regional NSW who dreams of becoming a doctor. The Commonwealth is happy to talk about rural doctor shortages, but when it comes to backing regional students, they’ve walked away,” the MP said.
“Medical students in regional NSW routinely travel hundreds of kilometres, pay for accommodation out of their own pocket, and give up paid work for months at a time. The Commonwealth knows this and still chose to exclude them.”
Mr Moylan said the policy would deepen the divide between metropolitan and regional health outcomes.
“City students can lean on family support, public transport and short commutes. Regional students face real financial barriers. If the Commonwealth is serious about rural health, it must stop punishing the very students we need most,” he said.
Mr Moylan called on the Commonwealth Government to immediately extend the payment to medical students and commit to a rural loading to reflect the higher cost of placements outside metropolitan centres.
“There is a very simple fix. Include medical students. Support rural placements. Stop making it harder for regional kids to become regional doctors,” he said.
“Our communities cannot afford another decade of workforce shortages. The Commonwealth Government must reverse this decision now.”