Medical Outreach Education and Training Program – Removing Barriers for Workforce Retention

Australians living in rural and remote areas have poorer access to doctors compared to those living in major cities. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures confirm there are 274 doctors per 100,000 in remote/very remote areas compared with 433 doctors per 100,000 in major cities.

Whilst much work has been done to address workforce shortages, long-term retention remains key. The Medical Outreach Education and Training Program (known as MOET) is a new and replicable rural registrar training model from the Darling Downs that provides medical support for smaller communities while providing a unique training opportunity for General Practice (GP) Registrars.

Based primarily on training rather than service principles, the model brings together multi-systems elements that were not previously integrated. And by having supervisors with a significant understanding of the rural setting, some of the barriers to workforce retention are being addressed.