Rural physicians to train for dual role

The Federal Government has given $90,000 to a project to develop a new kind of physician for rural areas, who can work as a generalist in addition to their specialty area.

The funding to the Royal Australian College of Physician’s “dual-trained physicians” project follows warnings from the college that the current narrow specialisation of physicians is failing to address the broad needs of the ageing population and rising rates of chronic disease — particularly in the bush.

RACP president Dr Leslie Bolitho said the funding was a step