Doctors struggle to find teaching time

Dr Catherine Joyce, of the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University, said  that many clinicians want to help teach medical students and doctors-in-training or engage in research, but do not have the time.

“Large sections of the Australian medical profession, including general practice are experiencing workforce shortages. Pressured clinicians are likely to prioritise the provision of services to patients over the less urgent demands of teaching and research,” Dr Joyce said.

“The demands of service delivery and changed funding models are also straining the capacity of doctors in public hospitals to undertake teaching duties or research.”

“Medical training now takes place in a wide range of clinical settings, but the supports for doctors to provide education varies considerably between these settings.”

Dr Joyce and her co-authors propose a range of strategies to support and enhance medical education and research including:

• Recruiting senior clinicians who have retired from the public hospital system but still have the capacity to contribute to the academic workforce
• Recognising the time clinicians spend teaching or conducting research by providing quarantined time and provider activity payments
• Increasing the use of high-technology simulations for procedural skills training
• Ensuring properly-designed, specifically designated spaces for teaching are located within hospitals and other major teaching sites
• Increasing the availability of formal university appointments for clinicians; and,
• Boosting support for general practice teaching.

The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.

^{The statements or opinions that are expressed in the MJA  reflect the views of the authors and do not represent the official policy of the AMA unless that is so stated.}

CONTACT:
Dr Catherine Joyce 0400 244 929
Ms Samantha Blair 0439 013 951 (Senior Media Officer, Monash University)