First-of-its-kind part-time study option to attract future GPs

In an Australian first, the University of Sydney will offer its medical students the chance to study a Doctor of Medicine degree on a part-time basis, in a move welcomed by the RACGP.
 
The part-time option will begin in 2027 and will initially be available to students entering their third year, allowing them to complete year three over two academic years. If successful, the university plans to extend the scheme in the future years.
 
GP registrar and Acting Deputy Chair of the RACGP GPs in Training faculty Dr Samantha Hodges says the part-time option could steer more medical students towards general practice by supporting those who either choose or require a more flexible career.
 
‘Students who opt for a part-time study option in medicine are more likely to be interested in a career in general practice,’ she told newsGP.
 
‘General practice offers the most flexibility of any medical speciality, and the same individuals might pursue this career path and contribute to our workforce in dire need of more doctors. 
 
‘My personal journey included a pivot to general practice when my responsibilities outside of medicine required more time and flexibility. By creating part-time education and training options, we are supporting a cohort of students possibly bound for our GP workforce.’
 
Students will be able to apply in June 2026 and begin their studies in January 2027. They will complete the same curriculum and assessments as full-time students, but over an extended timeframe. 
 
The initial implementation will occur at Westmead Clinical School and the School of Rural Health in Dubbo, with future expansion planned across other years of the program.
 
Dr Hodges said Australian medical schools should continue to collaborate and design viable part-time and flexible education options for medical students.
 
‘There are many challenges in delivering an integrated medical curriculum at a reduced load, but it should be a matter of priority if we want to support and retain highly skilled, diverse, and well-rounded individuals in medicine,’ she said. 
 
‘Supporting and retaining medical students with parental/carer responsibilities or disability/chronic disease should be a priority of all medical schools in Australia.
 
‘[And there are] many reasons – to promote equity and diversity within our profession; to have a cohort of medical students and doctors that are representative of our population; to encourage those who would make excellent doctors through their lived experiences, but are unable to commit to a full-time study load; and to promote mature age and rural students undertaking medicine.’
 
Professor Jane Bleasel, Dean of the Sydney Medical School, said the Doctor of Medicine course is a challenging postgraduate degree and any student completing it has demonstrated skill and academic ability.
 
‘But life isn’t a straight line and for many people – including parents, those who have caring responsibilities or a disability – it can be hard to balance intense study with very real demands outside of the university,’ she said.
 
‘By offering a part-time option, it means we can keep our high-quality students enrolled while also allowing them the flexibility to manage their personal circumstances.’
 
For Lisa Ross, a Deakin University medical student who has long been advocating for part-time study, the news is a ‘deeply welcomed and long overdue shift’.
 
‘If Australia wants a sustainable and diverse medical workforce, flexible training models must become standard across all medical schools,’ she told newsGP.
 
‘As a postgraduate medical student in my third year, I have seen firsthand how the full‑time‑only structure places enormous pressure on students who are also parents, carers, regional commuters, or managing chronic illness or disability.
 
‘Long clinical days, thousands of hours of unpaid placement, rising living costs, and the expectation to study outside those hours create a model that is simply unsustainable.
 
‘We have worked hard to attract a broader, more representative cohort into medicine, but without structural change, we risk losing exactly the people our communities need. This is not about resilience. It is about equity, access, and the long‑term health of the workforce.’
 
But she says there is more work to be done.
 
‘Part‑time pathways are a crucial first step. The next steps must include predictable clinical scheduling, the ability to work part‑time during placements, and ultimately, paid placements,’ Ms Ross said.
 
‘These reforms would make medical training genuinely accessible and help ensure that committed students can stay in the pipeline.
 
‘The solution to the workforce shortage is already here. We just need to make it possible for students to remain in the system.’
 
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