Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently I had the privilege of attending a celebration for the very first cohort to graduate from Victoria's end-to-end rural medical training program, delivered in partnership between La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne. It was a landmark moment for the graduates, for regional Victoria and for the nation.

For as long as I can remember, we have had a doctor drought in the regions. The evidence is clear that students who come from the regions and train in the regions stay in the regions. This is precisely what this partnership delivers. It is not an add-on or a placement tacked on to a metropolitan degree; it is true end-to-end regional training that opens the doors wider for rural and regional students, many of whom might never have seen themselves reflected in a traditional city-centric model of medical education.

At the celebration, I met graduates who are already working in their communities—young people with deep roots in their community who have not endured the dislocation of travel away from family, sporting teams and childhood friends, nor the cost-of-living pressures of studying away from home. Many are the first in their family to attend university. Many have juggled study with work, caring responsibilities and, in some cases, the disruptions of fires, floods and a pandemic. These are not just bright students; they are resilient. After all, they have managed seven years of medical study—that's much longer than my training was. They are community-minded clinicians who understand their patients, because their patients are neighbours. They share their lived experience.

If we are serious about equity in health, we must be serious about innovative models like this. They work. They grow a work-ready rural medical workforce. They give country kids a fair shot at a medical career and give country communities a fair shot at a timely and high-quality health service.

Of note is that our government has increased the number of Commonwealth-supported places for medical students by an extra 100 places per year, starting from this year, increasing to 150 by 2028. Notably, we have seen the highest number of doctors taking up general practice training—this year, it was 1,800, and that will increase to 2,000 by 2028. It is welcome.

Finally, we've also seen, for the first time, the inclusion of rural generalism as a brand-new medical speciality. This just does not happen very often. In fact, it's the second time it has happened in 15 years. It was signed off by the Medical Board of Australia in September this year.

I want to place on record my congratulations to the graduating cohort and to their families, to the educators and to the clinical supervision staff for this partnership. Their success is not just a personal achievement; it is an investment in the health and dignity of regional Australia.

On a recent trip to north-east Victoria, I was taken back to my days as a medical professional while touring the Australian Defence Force School of Health at Latchford Barracks, Bonegilla. Set in beautiful gardens, this facility provides world-class medical training to hundreds of trainees each year. It does so by combining cutting-edge technology with highly experienced educators, placing students in an environment where they are pushed physically, mentally and academically.

This is an educational experience like no other. In a matter of steps, I went from a hospital ward to the inside of a helicopter and a medical-grade ambulance. This is an immersive, accelerated learning experience, where vital clinical skills are distilled, not over years but over months, for medics who can manage blast injuries, sepsis, wounds and heart attacks. But they push into realms not taught in a standard medical school, like aviation medicine, barotrauma and CBRM. Under the stewardship of educators who have served, these medics will go on to deliver life-saving care, sometimes under extraordinary pressure. The success of the school was written on the faces of the trainees I met, some carrying 20 kilos of gear, in flak jackets and army fatigues, about to embark on a trek, with medicines, bandages, smiles and banter.

The fact that this program is sought-after internationally is testament to its reputation. It is heartening that our defence personnel are being equipped with world-class medical training—skills that not only save lives but also uphold Australia's commitment to excellence and service. I want to sincerely thank the team for their tour and for giving me the opportunity to speak to our future health leaders in defence.