Call for Full Rural Training Pipeline in Mount Gambier

The Rural Doctors’ Association of South Australia has welcomed a proposed $13 million medical training investment in Mount Gambier, but warns infrastructure alone will not fix workforce shortages.

President Dr Bill Geyer says the plan must be part of a genuine end-to-end rural training pathway, with adequate support for supervisors and protected teaching time.

Without investment in prevocational positions, advanced Rural Generalist skills and regional specialty pathways, he warns new graduates may again drift to Adelaide.

The Rural Doctors Association of Australia echoed the call, urging governments to back the full medical training continuum rather than headline announcements.

Both groups say training doctors in the regions improves the likelihood they will stay, strengthening healthcare access across the Limestone Coast.

They argue that done properly, the investment could build a sustainable rural workforce — but only if matched with long-term strategy and support.