Medical schools need to introduce higher quotas of rural students to address the health workforce distribution crisis, the AMA says.

The AMA is calling for 33% of Commonwealth-supported places across the country to be allocated to rural-origin medical students each year, arguing that people who grow up in the bush are more likely to work in rural areas after graduating.

It also wants to see an increase in the number of medical students required to undertake at least one year of clinical training in rural areas.

Currently, the Department of Health requires medical schools to allocate at least one-quarter of their Commonwealth-supported places to rural students.