There is clear evidence of an increasing proportion of women
entering the medical profession in Australia according to
Medical Labour Force 1994, a report released today by the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Of the estimated 46,014 doctors in the Australian medical labour
force, 26% were women.
Report editor Warwick Conn said, however, that there are strong
indications that the proportion of women in the medical labour
force will continue to rise:
'Just over 42% of Australian students completing bachelor
degrees in medicine in 1994 were women. And 46% of undergraduate
medical students and 49% of post-graduate medical students were
women.
'Also, in general practice, 49% of doctors aged less than 35
were women.'
Other findings in the report include:
- There were 43,010 doctors employed in clinical practice in
Australia.
- Only 5.2% of all clinicians and 9.4% of primary care
practitioners practised in minor rural and remote areas, which have
16.2% of the Australian population.
- Clinicians worked an average of 48.1 hours per week in
total-primary care practitioners 44.9 hours, hospital
non-specialists 52.6 hours, specialists 49.7 hours and specialists
in training 55.4 hours.
- 6.7% of primary care practitioners, 7.7% of specialists, 16.6%
of specialists in training, and 5.3% of salaried hospital doctors
reported working 70 or more hours a week.
- Many doctors continued to work past normal retiring age, with
578 general practitioners and specialists still working as
clinicians at age 75 or more.
- Doctors working in remote rural localities worked significantly
longer hours, were far more likely to be on call for after hours
work, and had much longer hours on call than doctors in
metropolitan areas.
- The number of Medicare medical practitioner providers increased
by 3.0% between 1993-94 and 1994-95, compared to a population
increase of 1.2%. The numbers of general practitioners increased by
2.6% and specialists by 3.6%.
9 September 1996
Further information: John Harding, ph. 02 6244
1153 or 04 1923 9582 (mobile).
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, ph. 02 6244 1031 or 02 6244 1044 (fax).
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications Catalogue
for details.