Loan Write Offs For New Medical Graduates Good First Step To Slow Doctor Drain - New Zealand Medical Students' Association

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 27 May 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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The New Zealand Medical Students' Association (NZMSA) welcomes the acknowledgement by National Leader John Key of the need to actively address the loss of New Zealand's newest doctors overseas. "Mr Key has every reason to be very concerned by the number of young medical graduates leaving New Zealand" says the NZMSA President Anna Dare.

"While multiple factors have led us to our current medical workforce crisis, the impact of the high graduate debts on junior doctor migration cannot be underestimated," she says.

"Debt relief offered at the time of entry into the medical workforce and in return for a service commitment to New Zealand is something the NZMSA has been advocating for" Ms Dare states. "We need to ensure New Zealand is a viable place for our newest doctors to work in. Loan write offs on graduation are a good short term solution for slowing the current exodus."

"However, any scheme considered by either National or the current government must be voluntary and not hinder training", the NZMSA cautions. "Forcing graduates to serve in a community through strict bonding is not good for the doctor, or for the community they serve." "Our newest graduates do not need to be forced into staying; they need a reason to stay - loan write offs are a good place to start."

The NZMSA echoes the statement issued by the New Zealand Medical Association that the current doctor shortages are not confined to rural and regional areas, nor to general practice. "We have moved beyond a simple maldistribution of our medical workforce and now face a national doctor shortage" Ms Dare says. "This has exacerbated ongoing retention problems in certain geographic and speciality areas."

Ms Dare points out that "high medical fees and a lack of central government funding of tertiary education are ultimately the drivers of high medical student debt." While loan write offs offer a means to slow the exodus, "lower medical school fees and increased central government funding of our health system will be required alongside immediate debt relief."

New Zealand Medical Students' Association