The Australian governments plan to add one hundred new medical student places, aimed at strengthening Medicare and addressing doctor shortages, has surprisingly excluded the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Despite the ACTs significant GP shortage, its application for ten places was denied, leaving many general practices no longer accepting new patients and nearly half of all appointments including out-of-pocket fees. The territory has only eighty-eight point nine GPs for every one hundred thousand residents, compared to Sydneys one hundred fifteen point five. ACT independent senator David Pocock expressed disappointment, emphasizing the importance of training more doctors locally to meet the regions healthcare needs. The funding has been distributed among ten universities across other states, with the Australian National Universitys proposed new four-year general practice program, targeting students from rural backgrounds and local Canberrans interested in primary care, also rejected. Applications for an additional fifty places, set to be funded from two thousand twenty-eight, will open next year, offering another opportunity for the ACT to secure much-needed medical training spots.

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