This report describes a program initiated in 1992 to provide appropriate training for rural physicians and to address the shortage of physicians in rural Australia. Rural medical practice differs dramatically from urban practice in that there is limited access to specialist services in rural areas, thus requiring rural practitioners to be competent in delivery of secondary and tertiary medical care. It has been found that a physician that has not received adequate training to meet the needs of rural practice is likely to discontinue rural practice. Consequently, the shortage of rural medical personnel is most directly related to inadequate preparation for rural practice. To address this problem, advanced training curricula for rural medical practice were developed in anesthetics, obstetrics, and surgery. The program established training posts at hospitals throughout rural Australia for trainees and for established rural doctors who wished further training. Currently, 33 posts are filled, 23 of them by Rural Training Stream trainees. The training consists of practical experience, a real-work situation, one-on-one teaching and consultation, and continuous trainee assessment and feedback. Program evaluation indicates that trainees and supervisors view the content of training as appropriate and realistic for the requirements of rural general practice. Other approaches to problems of appropriate rural medical training include the Rural Training Stream, which provides 4 years of medical education focused on developing skills and competencies for rural practice; the Directorate of Rural Education and Training, which facilitates rural medical training at all levels; and Rural Health Training Units, created to increase training opportunities for rural health professionals. Contains 23 references. (LP)