Rural health leaders have welcomed the formal recognition of rural generalism as a specialist medical field, saying it gives long-overdue visibility and validation to doctors in this area.
Rural generalists (RG) can now be formally recognised as being part of a specialist medical field within general practice in the Australian healthcare system, following an announcement by Heath Minister Mark Butler.
While a National Rural Generalist Pathway was established in 2018 to attract, retain and support rural generalists, it had not been formally recognised as a specialty until now.
The change means GPs with an approved Fellowship of the RACGP or ACRRM will be able to apply for specialist registration as a rural generalist under a protected title and their skills and qualifications can be incorporated into the National Law that governs registered health professions.
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Rural generalists spend a year of additional training in emergency medicine and a selection of disciplines needed in rural communities such as child health, mental health, surgery, and obstetrics.
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Rural Health West chief executive Professor Catherine Elliott welcomed the formal recognition.
“For medical students, this creates a clear and exciting career pathway at a time when general practice training numbers are under pressure, but interest in rural medicine is on the rise,” she said.
Professor Elliott said the recognition highlighted that rural medicine is not just different, “it’s rewarding, diverse and full of opportunity”.
“This recognition gives long-overdue visibility and validation, which is critical to keeping doctors in our communities.”
While it won’t fix workforce shortages overnight, it’s an important long-term step towards attracting, supporting and sustaining the next generation of rural doctors, she said.
“This is fantastic news for rural and First Nations communities. It shines a light on the extraordinary breadth of care our rural doctors deliver every day – not just general practice, but emergency, hospital, obstetrics, anaesthetics, mental health and more.”
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RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said recognition was a positive step forward in making the rural generalism career pathway more visible and ensuring that RGs are always appropriately remunerated for the work they do in rural and remote communities.
“RGs add to the broad and substantial GP skill set with training in key disciplines that rural areas and hospitals need, so they are highly valued by their communities,” he said.
“The range of additional rural skills training available also offers junior doctors an appealing choice of disciplines, and we can see these add to medical students’ interest in general practice, which will help address rural workforce challenges.
“RGs are the bedrock of towns nationwide, and it’s only fair that their profession is now distinctly recognised as a vital part of our healthcare system.”
The RACGP will now work with the Australian Medical Council to determine a process where RG Fellowship qualifications can be accredited under this new specialist classification.
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