According to a Government study medical students feel under confident of conducting simple medical procedures.

A report from the Federal Education Department stated that 54 per cent of junior doctors felt that they would be unable to do wound management, 71 per cent students from final year thought they were not able to calculate drug doses which means that only 29 per cent of final-year medical students were capable of doing the job. Around 69 junior doctors and 77 per cent final year students were unable to interpret X-rays.

The report however said that according to the international standards Australia’s medical education was exceptionally well.

ANU Medical School dean Professor Nicholas Glasgow stated that students did not know it but they were professionally efficient.

"The first time you make a decision in an exam as a medical student what's at stake is a mark, whether you get it right or wrong," Glasgow said.

The Australian Medical Students' Association expressed a need for more on-the-job training for junior doctors.

The association's spokesman Sam Kerscher stated that the best training was performing procedures on real patients.