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8Table 1 – Medical practitioners by type of practitioner by Indigenous status 1996,2001, 2006 Census1996 2001 2006number per cent number per cent number per centGeneral Medical PractitionersIndigenous 41 0.1 54 0.2 82 0.2non‐Indigenous 28,914 99.5 31,839 99.5 35,169 99.3Specialist Medical PractitionersIndigenous 20 0.1 34 0.2 24 0.1non‐Indigenous 14,859 99.4 15,767 99.3 19,261 99.4Source: AIHW 2009, p. 13AIDA’s own data from their Fellows Position Paper (2009, see appendix) suggests avery different picture, claiming only 14 Fellows currently exist (although it appearsthat Fellows of the Royal Australian College of Physicians have been overlooked in thiscounting, adding another three known physicians).Source: Internal AIDA paperThe more specific and clear the data is on the make‐up of the Australian healthworkforce, the more targeted initiatives such as support and recruitment, andresource allocation can be. Achievements in recruitment and retention can also beaccurately reported and celebrated.In developing a plan of action for recruitment into specialist Colleges, considerationneeds to be given to the ‘pipeline’ effect and realities of relatively small numbers ofIndigenous medical graduates. The immediate increase in the number of Indigenousmedical graduates is between 10 and 20 a year for the three years from 2010, withnearly double that in the following years (possibly up to 40). This provides anopportunity for Colleges to address needs on an individual basis in the short term,whilst putting in place a systemic approach for the future.An area of discussion with the Indigenous medical specialists was about which factorshad influenced their choice of specialty. The typical response was that their interest topursue a specialty was spurred by community needs; an awareness that the poor stateof Aboriginal health within their own families and communities could be improved bytheir specialty skills. For example, for one Indigenous physician, the reason for