"Ming: Despite being international, all Australian-trained medical graduates understand the Australian people,"

Good luck with that, having been born and lived in Aus. for 45 years I find I understand them less and less every year.

Though in saying that, once you conclude they simply want more for less, then it starts to make sense. Greed, fear and self entitlement are at the top. One only has to look to Governments these people elect for some idea of the hopelessness the future of Australia faces.

...You very nearly "got away with that" Valley Guy!

Thanks, Ming - wish you well in the future.

Valley Guy,

Hard to disagree with your assessment of the prevailing attitude in this country.
I watched a doco recently of Scott Neeson's work in Cambodia, and I was struck by the humility and compassion of the people working there - we could do with a good dose of those much needed virtues in Australia.

I am astonished at the amount of negative responses Ming has received from his very eloquent opinion piece.

I would like to point out a few things to those who are so against the provision of intern places to international students.

1) There is a rural doctor shortage which has resulted in the Australian government 'Importing' thousands of doctors who are not trained in Australia, and hence serve their 2-3 years in the country before (generally) moving straight to metropolitan areas. These Drs are renowned for not being able to 'connect' with or communicate effectively with these rural areas. Obviously, this is a generalisation and I am sure there are some very good doctors who have been trained overseas. This process is also extremely expensive for the Australian government.

2) The international students who come here to Australia to study medicine pay approximately the same amount as students who go to Bond University (our only private University). I don't disagree with these fees, as education is a service that the Australian government EXPORTS. HOWEVER, if these doctors wish to stay on in Australia and practice, this can solve two issues:

It is more economical, and all standards will be met to the Australian public of Australian TRAINED Drs.
Perhaps we do create a 'bonded' scheme where those int'l students must then repay each year of their intern to an area of need... However, I strongly disagree that they should pay for their intern position as they are doing the Australian Health system a favour.

To all those who believe this is a backdoor to become a resident in Australia - GOOD. These are trained, educated, intelligent people who will add culture to a multicultural society. Just because some of them come from 'elected' communist countries (do some reading Valley Guy), or corrupt nations, does not mean they bring those values here.

I open you all with welcome arms if your intentions are to stay in Australia. Forgive those who are ignorant for what service and value you can and will bring to Australia.

Regards,
James

I would just like to point out a few facts to inform this discussion as after reading the comments I'm not quite sure whether people fully understand what's going on

1) International students have already paid that 300,000 dollars, so they're not trying to avoid paying for our HECS or trying to "turn Australia into a failed infrastructure poor nation".

Also, the people that arrive in this country (it sometimes saddens me to say this because it tells you how inequitable education is steadily becoming) are not here for " raising the living standards of those doctors in most cases from abject poverty in their failed homelands to wealth and prestige in Australia." There are here because they recognize the value of Australia's medical training and they have the money to pay for it. I get the feeling that those people that are willing to shell out 300,000 dollars for an education are not in abject poverty nor are they investing money in a medical education mainly for wealth and prestige.

2) I think most international students are not demanding the government offer them jobs, like it is their right. I think that they should have the option, like any other skilled professional whose profession is listed on the skilled migration scheme to be offered the chance to stay in Australia and practice what they have devoted their lives for 5-6 years for. This is especially in the context of the fact that the health authorities did not give the current graduating medical students (as well all of those two years their junior) ANY warning that they would cease offering internships. So by that time, most had already invested 40,000-80,000 in their studies and were unlikely to drop out or to look for alternatives.

3) Suggesting that you pay for your internship is essentially like suggesting you should pay for a job. An internship is not just training, it is a job. It is a job where you work overtime and you work hard. Yes, the training part is important, but the medical profession is unique in that doctors effectively "train" and learn their whole life. Formal training only really ceases after you become a consultant and that usually takes 10-12 years. When we say training, we really mean learning on the job, which I'm sure all would agree you shouldn't have to pay for.
If you're really suggesting that international students pay for their jobs, then I imagine that new labour laws have to be set up, to allow employees across Australia or at least NSW, to pay their employers for their jobs. And you'd probably have to create a new entry in the dictionary just for Australia's special definition for employees in relation to foreign trainee doctors only.

4) Suggesting that you pay for your internship while domestic students should not have to is frankly inequitable and bordering on discrimination. If two people anywhere in the world, apply for the exact same job by the exact same employer (NSW Health, for example), it would never be justified to even offer different salaries based on their nationality. And now we're suggesting that one of them should pay for their job, while the other gets paid to do the same job.

In conclusion, let me ask you this question. You, as part of the Australian public is deciding your future fate for yourself. How would you feel, in the emergency department if the deciding factor that allowed the intern-doctor to put in your cannula and write out your medication, was the amount of money he/she was willing to pay to do that?