Record number of graduate doctors join Queensland Health

• More than 930 new first year graduate doctors will start their training in Queensland hospitals across the State.
• For the first time, Queensland has attracted more first year graduate doctors than anywhere else in the country.
• This is the largest intake in Queensland’s history, surpassing last year’s record of over 880 new first year doctors.
• The Crisafulli Government is delivering easier access to health services and a fresh start for Queensland.

The Crisafulli Government is delivering easier access to health services and a fresh start for Queensland after welcoming more than 930 first year graduate doctors embarking on their careers with Queensland Health in 2026.

It’s just one of the ways the Crisafulli Government is delivering health services when Queenslanders need them most, with the graduate doctors set to play a valuable role in bolstering frontline services in their communities.

This record intake will provide critical health care across the State and brings Queensland another step closer to delivering the 46,000 additional health staff needed by 2032 to meet a growing demand for health services, after a decade of decline under Labor.

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls met today with some of the 94 first year graduate doctors starting their careers at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

Minister Nicholls said attracting the numbers of first year graduates and retaining them for lifetime careers in Queensland Health were important elements of the Crisafulli Government’s Easier Access to Health Services Plan.

“This record intake of the next generation of doctors shows our plan to grow our workforce is working,” Minister Nicholls said.

“We know that attracting and retaining doctors at the start of their medical careers means more accessible care and better health outcomes for Queenslanders.”

“Talking to these new doctors as they commence their careers with us at Queensland Health, seeing and hearing their energy and commitment, gives me confidence the next generation of doctors is ready to step into the frontline and continue making a real difference in their communities.

“As Minister for Health and Ambulance Services, I’m committed to talking with clinicians at every stage of their career, to find out how the Crisafulli Government can support them in the delivery of excellence in health services.”

For the first time, national data shows Queensland received the highest number of first year graduate doctor applications across the country, overtaking both New South Wales and Victoria.

“This speaks volumes about the reputation of our hospitals, the Queensland lifestyle, and the opportunities we provide for young doctors starting their careers with Queensland Health,” Minister Nicholls said.

“After a decade of decline under Labor, I’m proud to be part of a government that is delivering a fresh start by building and investing in the health system now, in preparation for the future, to ensure Queenslanders have access to world-class healthcare no matter where they live.”

Queensland’s new intake of doctors will gain clinical experience through various rotations such as emergency medicine, cardiology, orthopaedics, anaesthetics, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, intensive care, mental health, general medicine and surgery.

Nine of Queensland’s regional and rural hospitals including Townsville, Cairns, Hervey Bay, Rockhampton and Mackay will also have first year graduate doctors joining their ranks, and many who are based in metropolitan hospitals will have opportunities to undertake rotations in rural and remote settings.

In addition, of the 2026 new graduate doctor cohort, 56 have already chosen specialist careers via the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway (QRGP), a program that trains doctors in rural medicine so that they are equipped to provide high-quality care to regional, rural and remote communities across the state.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: David McLachlan, 0428 716 171

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The numbers of new first year graduate doctors across Queensland are as follows:

• Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service: 68
• Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service: 43
• Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service: 61
• Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service: 107
• Mackay Hospital and Health Service: 36
• Metro North Hospital and Health Service: 203
• Metro South Hospital and Health Service: 166
• North West Hospital and Health Service: 6
• Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service: 79
• Townsville Hospital and Health Service: 74
• West Moreton Hospital and Health Service: 52
• Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service: 36