"It is essential that we implement strategies to address this problem now to ensure that medical students receive quality clinical teaching before they graduate as doctors," said Tiffany Fulde.

AMSA believes the problem must be tackled at a number of levels to increase teaching capacity and support, as well as increasing teaching resources and facilities.

Recognising the time clinicians spend teaching by providing quarantined time and provider activity payments will relieve some of the constraints currently preventing or deterring doctors from assisting in training.

Additionally, high-technology simulation to aid with procedural skills training and ensuring access to well designed and resourced teaching spaces at clinical sites would be of great assistance.

With federal money available to improve clinical training for students across all health professions from next year, there is a great need to make sure the money goes toward supporting teaching doctors and clinical teaching facilities. Only by continually looking at how to provide the best medical training will Australia ensure that our doctors are of the highest standard.

Source: AMSA
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