The Federal Government has opened a new competitive funding round to create 50 additional university medical places aimed at boosting Australia’s future supply of doctors, particularly general practitioners.
Public universities across the country can now apply for the Commonwealth-supported places, which will begin from 2028 and are backed by more than $5.7 million in federal funding. The program is open to all public institutions, including those seeking to establish new medical schools.
The move follows an earlier allocation of 100 medical places focused on primary care that commenced this year across 10 Australian universities.
Federal Health and Ageing Minister Mark Butler said expanding domestic medical training was essential to ensuring Australians could access healthcare when and where they needed it. He said the latest funding round was part of a broader effort to strengthen the nation’s health workforce and support primary care services.
Butler noted that doctor registrations had risen significantly in recent years, with figures in 2024–25 more than 30 per cent higher than in 2021-22. He said increased interest in general practice and rural generalism suggested recent investments in the health system were encouraging more graduates to pursue careers in primary care.
“Training a domestic medical workforce is crucial to ensuring every Australian can access quality health care where and when they need it.”
Education Minister Jason Clare said the additional university places would expand opportunities for students while helping address workforce shortages in communities that struggle to attract doctors. He said the government was particularly focused on increasing the number of GPs.
“We need more doctors. In particular we need more GPs. That’s why we are funding these extra places at medical schools across the country.”
The expansion forms part of the government’s broader investment in health workforce training, including a $617 million initiative aimed at increasing the number of Australian-trained doctors and nurses. The program sits within a wider $8.5 billion package designed to strengthen the national healthcare system.
Demand for GP training has been rising, with government-funded programs expected to enrol more than 2,100 new registrars in 2026 – the largest intake on record.
Universities have until 7 April 2026 to apply for the new Commonwealth-supported medical places.
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