Executive Summary

This review was established to examine the purpose of the internship in today’s health system and its effectiveness in equipping medical graduates to practise in a complex and changing healthcare environment. It also sought to examine the role of the internship in supporting graduates’ career choices and to identify mechanisms to expand intern training settings.

The rationale for the review is strong. The internship has not been subject to major review in almost three decades and significant change has occurred since then in medical education, the medical workforce and the organisation of health services. By contrast, other countries have, during this period, restructured their equivalent of the internship or moved away from it entirely.

The public investment in the internship is substantial, estimated to exceed $300 million per annum nationally. It is therefore prudent to examine whether the investment is resulting in safe, capable practitioners and in a medical workforce appropriately configured to meet changing community needs.