AMA calls for boost to general practice teaching and training

The AMA today released a proposal calling on the Government to improve support for general practices, including doubling the incentive payment for teaching, to encourage them to conduct more teaching and training of the future general practice workforce.

Currently only 13.6 per cent of general practices, and fewer then 30 per cent of PIP-accredited practices, are involved in teaching medical students.

The proposal, prepared by the AMA Council of General Practice (AMACGP), requires the Government to increase the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) teaching payment to a realistic level to help general practices cover the significant costs of providing training.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said that better equipping more general practices to provide training will help attract more medical students into general practice, including in country areas experiencing medical workforce shortages.

“Medical schools are managing growing numbers of medical students and they are now looking to general practice as a more appropriate setting to provide students with a quality clinical training experience,” Dr Hambleton said.

“Properly resourced general practices could play a vital role in steering young doctors into a career as a GP. 

“Providing medical students with a realistic GP experience while they are at medical school gives them an insight to the unique rewards of life as a community family doctor.

“The current PIP teaching payment, which is $100 per session and which has not increased since 2005, does not cover the opportunity costs of teaching.  Supervising medical students takes time and commitment.  It inevitably means that GPs must see fewer patients because they are devoting extra time and resources to training.

“The AMA recommends that the incentive be increased to $200 a session.

“The Government says it wants more students to consider a career in general practice, but it must increase essential support for practices if it is serious about meeting that objective.

“The inadequacy of the current incentive is discouraging practices and individual GPs from becoming actively involved in teaching and training.”

The AMA Proposal to Increase the PIP Teaching Incentive is at http://ama.com.au/ama-proposal-proposal-increase-pip-teaching-incentive

16 July 2012

CONTACT:         Kirsty Waterford                  02 6270 5464 / 0427 209 753