Applications open for 50 government-funded medical university placements
Australian universities will be able to apply for a share of 50 new government-funded medical placements, as Labor doubles-down on its pledge to expand access to primary health care.
Applications will open to tertiary educators from Tuesday for state-funded placements after 100 new primary health care-focused places commenced across ten universities earlier this year.
The latest round is expected to commence in 2028, and includes more than $5.7m in funding.
Education Minister Jason Clare said the placements would provide more opportunities for young Australians at a time when “we need more doctors”.
“In particular we need more GPs. That’s why we are funding these extra places at medical schools across the country,” he said.
“Just to put it in perspective, the number of new medical places we have funded at universities is triple what the last Liberal government did. In half the time.”
All public universities will be eligible to apply for a share of placements, including institutions looking to establish new medical schools.
Applications will close on April 7.
It comes as the Albanese government continues its push to expand the country’s lagging GP workforce.
A 2024 government report found the shortfall in GPs in Australia would reach 2600 by 2028, and 8600 by 2048.
However, registrations for government-funded GP training programs were on track to see more than 2100 commencing registrars in 2026, the “largest cohort of future GPs in history”, the government said.
A further $617m has also been invested in Medicare to train more homegrown doctors and nurses.
Health Minister Mark Butler said more doctors have joined the health care system over the past two years than in at any point in the past decade, with doctor registrations jumping more than 30 per cent in 2024-25 compared to 2021-22.
“Training a domestic medical workforce is crucial to ensuring every Australian can access quality health care where and when they need it,” he said.
“The growth in popularity of general practice and rural generalism shows our efforts to strengthen Medicare and support primary care are working.
“Our government’s commitment to providing these additional medical places reflects our commitment to strengthening Medicare and supporting primary care for all Australians”.
In January, the Albanese government scored an 11th-hour deal with the states and territories over public hospital funding.
The federal government will spend a record $220m over five years under the deal, with state and territory governments complaining federal aged care patients were causing severe bed block across the country.
