Extension of the Rural Junior Doctor Training Innovation Fund Round 4

Overview

The Rural Junior Doctor Training Innovation Fund (RJDTIF) is part of the Junior Doctor Training Program - a key element of the Stronger Rural Health Strategy, announced in the 2018 Budget, designed to improve access to training in rural areas through junior doctor training. The first two funding rounds under the RJDTIF (Round 1 and 2) in 2018 and 2019 respectively focussed on supporting training specifically for junior doctors in their 1st year (interns) since graduating from medical school. The third round (Round 3) in 2020 expanded the RJDTIF to encompass training for junior doctors in their 2nd postgraduate year (PGY2s). The aim of this grant opportunity is to extend the current funding arrangements (under Round 1-3) for a further 12 months in 2021 to ensure continuity of junior doctor medical training through RJDTIF. Key priorities of the expanded RJDTIF are: • providing rurally based junior doctors with a training period in a rural primary care setting, building on the rural training networks that are funded by the states and territories • developing rural training capacity by fostering innovative ways of training junior doctors in primary care settings• strengthening the rural training pathway to improve training within the local region The intended outcomes of the RJDTIF are: • improved retention of medical graduates and junior doctors in rural medical practice • increased medical training capacity• a contribution to the development of a rural pathway continuum for medical education and training in expanded settings by enhancing rural training networks