Students No Substitute for Doctors

"Doctors are alarmed at reports that final-year students have been employed to fill medical workforce shortages and have at times been left without supervision and asked to undertake tasks that should only be performed by fully qualified doctors," Dr Yong said.

"Medical students are not substitutes for doctors, and nor should they be expected to fulfil roles for which they are not yet ready.

"Employing students as doctors risks patient safety, risks the future medical registration of the student and brings up a host of legal and medical indemnity issues."

The problem was highlighted in South Australia last year when a number of medical students were controversially employed by hospitals trying to deal with chronic workforce problems.

AMA Federal Council met last week in Adelaide to finalise policy calling for an end to this practice.

"The clinical role of medical students in hospitals is learning, not earning," Dr Yong said.

"Public hospitals must focus on the recruitment and retention of doctors to manage the care of patients, as well as provide training and supervision for students.

"The AMA accepts the reality that medical students need some form of income stream and we recognise that medical students can be employed in hospitals - but not as doctors.

"Students must be appropriately trained, have clear job descriptions and the role should not interfere with their study."

Dr Yong's comments were echoed by Australian Medical Students' Association President Teresa Cosgriff.

"Students need to have the flexibility to study and learn in the way that suits them best," Ms Cosgriff said.

"When you're employed by a hospital, that puts you under a number of pressures, especially when your boss or supervisor is also your assessor.

"It makes it hard to say no, for example, if you're asked to put in extra hours at work but you feel you need to be in the library studying. It's a very dangerous situation to be in.