Will bonded medical school places do more harm than good?

To the Editor, The smaller numbers of medical professionals choosing rural over metropolitan practice has inspired numerous strategies aimed at averting a potential healthcare crisis. Some are sound and reasonably successful while others such as the Federal Government's Bonded Medical Places (BMP) scheme appear entirely inappropriate. In return for entry to a medical course only, BMP students are contractually bound to service in an area of 'workforce shortage' for 6 years after graduation and attainment of their postgraduate qualifications. Support for BMP students is substantially less than that given to Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship students who receive financial aid and access to resources such as the Rural and Remote Medical Education Online platform.