Medical Training Review Panel 19th Report

Types of Student Places

In Australia a student undertaking medical studies may occupy either:

• 
  a Commonwealth-supported university place (CSP), where the student is required to pay for only part of the cost of his or her degree through HECS-HELP; or
  
• 
  a full fee-paying place, which is funded entirely by the tuition fees paid by the student.
  

Commonwealth-supported medical students may also be participating in the Bonded Medical Places (BMP) Scheme or have received scholarships through the Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship (MRBS) Scheme, which commenced in 2004 and 2001 respectively.

Students participating in the BMP Scheme have a return of service obligation to work in a District of Workforce Shortage (DWS) for a period of time equal to the length of the medical degree. However, trainees can meet up to half of the return of service obligation while completing prevocational and vocational training.

Recipients of the MRBS Scheme scholarship are required to work for six continuous years in locations within Australian Standard Geographical Classification – Remoteness Areas (ASGC-RA) 2 to 5. MRBS Scheme doctors have a six year commitment to work in rural Australia after completing their vocational training.

Another unique program, the Northern Territory Medical Program (NTMP), supports medical training in the Northern Territory. This program is jointly funded by the Australian and Northern Territory governments. NTMP graduates must participate in a return of service obligation program operated by the Northern Territory Government.

Table 2.5 provides detailed information on the number and types of places available at each university in 2015. Over three-quarters of all university places each year are Commonwealth-supported. In 2015, there were 13,364 Commonwealth-supported places or 78.8% of all places. Approximately one-fifth (20.6%) of all medical students were fee-paying in 2015, of these 2,535 (72.7%) were international students.

Table 2.5: Medical students by type of student place and university, 2015