Pam Sims Harvey

1 Introduction For over two decades, the Australian Government has supported health professions training to grow and sustain the rural health workforce through the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) Program. This national network of rurally based academic centres provides opportunities for health students and professionals to study, practice, and build their careers in rural Australia, where 30% of the population resides [1].

1 Background Workforce maldistribution is an ongoing challenge in rural Australia, and addressing this priority is central to the guiding ambition of building fit-for-purpose health services to meet community need [1]. In response, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing invests in the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) program [2].

In the first issue of the first volume of the Australian Journal of Rural Health, both of the ‘Original Articles’ drew attention to the enduring challenges of attracting more GPs to rural areas,1 and the need for a new understanding of health workforce skills and boundaries.2 Now, more than 30 years after these articles were published and despite extensive investment, issues of rural workforce recruitment and the skills and capabilities of rural health professionals are still front and centre.