Monash targets GP shortages in Sunraysia
Applications have opened for the 2027 intake of the Monash Mildura GP Academy, a rural medical pathway aimed at training more GPs for Sunraysia and other regional communities.
Funded by the Federal Government, the academy offers 10 places a year in a four-year graduate-entry medical degree based in Mildura.
The course was first announced in December 2025. Its inaugural cohort started in 2026.
Under this pathway, students can complete their medical degree in Mildura from start to finish. Earlier Monash medical training required time in metropolitan and other regional locations.
Sunraysia, the Riverland and far west NSW are among Australia’s most underserved regions for GPs and Rural Generalists.
Professor Shane Bullock, Head of School at Monash Rural Health, said the academy would help keep more doctors in the local community and support their careers.
“With Sunraysia, the Riverland and far west NSW among the most underserved regions for GPs in Australia, addressing the shortage of GPs and RGs is critical,” Professor Bullock said.
Shane Bullock on GP shortages
The academy will also build a community of practice for junior doctors, GPs and Rural Generalists to support professional development and improve retention in the region.
According to the eligibility rules, applicants must have lived in Mildura or another rural area for at least five years, or for 10 years non-consecutively.
The programme is open to graduate students, including people who grew up in rural areas, moved to a city and now want to return.
Applicants must have completed a first degree in an eligible health or science field within the past 10 years.
However, for the 2027 intake, applicants may also qualify if they completed further tertiary study or kept their knowledge current through work in a clinical, scientific or health-related role.
Students will work with local health partners through primary care placements, including First Nations health services.
They will also get hands-on learning about the health needs of Indigenous, rural and regional communities.
Professor Bullock said the first-year students had already shown strong commitment to rural healthcare. He said graduates entering the workforce in coming years could be “a game-changer for the region.”
