Finding solutions to the rural doctor shortage: the roles of selection versus undergraduate medical education at Newcastle

Rolfe, Isobel; Pearson, Sallie‐Anne; O’Connell, Dianne; Dickinson, James A

doi:10.1111/j.1445-5994.1995.tb01497.x

Cited by 109 publications

(133 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

120

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…To ease short-term shortages, restrictions on the recruitment of overseas-trained doctors and aggressive recruitment campaigns have attracted some doctors to rural areas with guarantees of permanent residence and unrestricted practice after five years of rural service. Medical school admission policies have changed to include more students of rural background who are more likely to become rural doctors, 21 University departments of rural health have been established in every State and the Northern Territory, 22 as have rural medical workforce agencies to support the rural workforce. Census data provide one useful way of evaluating the impact of these policies on the number of doctors living and working in rural Australia over time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasingly inequitable distribution of general practitioners in Australia, 1986–96

Johnston

Wilkinson

2001

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective : To document trends in the distribution of general practitioners (GPs) in Australia between 1986 and 1996, adjusted for community need. Methods : Data on the location of GPs, population size and crude mortality in statistical divisions (SD) were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census of Population and Housing in 1986 and 1996. From these data, we calculated measures of distribution equality (number of people sharing each GP in each SD) and distribution equity (number of people sharing each GP divided by the crude mortality rate; the Robin Hood Index), and analysed temporal changes in the distribution of GPs. Results : Nationally, the number of people sharing each GP fell 11% from 1,038 in 1986 to 921 in 1996. However, in 41 of 57 SDs (72%, p=0.01) the number of people sharing a GP actually increased over this time, and the average Robin Hood Index across SDs fell from 0.943 to 0.783 (p=0.004), indicating increasingly inequitable distribution. Comparing the Robin Hood Index values of all SDs ranked in pairs, the value fell in 53 of 57 (93%, p<0.001) paired SDs over the decade. These patterns demonstrate increasing inequity over the decade. The number of people sharing each GP was consistently and substantially lower in the capital city SDs and the Robin Hood Index values were consistently and substantially higher (over‐served) compared with country SDs. Conclusions : Despite there being more GPs per capita in Australia, their distribution became increasingly unequal and inequitable between 1986 and 1996, such that rural and remote areas became increasingly poorly served.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasingly inequitable distribution of general practitioners in Australia, 1986–96

Johnston

Wilkinson

2001

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…7,8 To address these difficulties, countries as diverse as Australia, the United States of America (USA), Indonesia and Thailand have developed recruitment programmes that target health workers who have particular reasons for being committed to rural service. 5,6,[9][10][11][12] Emerging survey evidence suggests that health workers with a rural background are more willing to work in rural posts and are more responsive to incentives to work in rural areas. [12][13][14][15][16] Recent theoretical work also suggests that intrinsic motivation, i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who wants to work in a rural health post? The role of intrinsic motivation, rural background and faith-based institutions in Ethiopia and Rwanda

Serneels

Montalvo

Pettersson

et al. 2010

Bull. World Health Organ.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…2 Medical student intention predicts subsequent practice location, but does not preclude other doctors from choosing non-metropolitan practice at some point following graduation. 3 Those medical students 4,5 and doctors in speciality training programs 6,7 who are more likely to intend to work outside metropolitan areas come from a rural background. Medical school rural placements (ranging from 4 weeks to more than 2 years) also influence career decisions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

How do rural placements affect urban-based Australian junior doctors’ perceptions of working in a rural area?

Brodribb

Zadoroznyj²,

Martin³

2016

Aust. Health Review

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives. The aim of the present study was to provide qualitative insights from urban-based junior doctors (graduation to completion of speciality training) of the effect of rural placements and rotations on career aspirations for work in non-metropolitan practices.Methods. A qualitative study was performed of junior doctors based in Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne. Individual face-to-face or telephone semistructured interviews were held between August and October 2014. Thematic analysis focusing on participants' experience of placements and subsequent attitudes to rural practice was undertaken.Results. Most participants undertook rural placements in the first 2 years after graduation. Although experiences varied, positive perceptions of placements were consistently linked with the degree of supervision and professional support provided. These experiences were linked to attitudes about working outside metropolitan areas. Participants expressed concerns about being 'forced' to work in non-metropolitan hospitals in their first postgraduate year; many received little warning of the location or clinical expectations of the placement, causing anxiety and concern.Conclusions. Adequate professional support and supervision in rural placements is essential to encourage junior doctors' interests in rural medicine. Having a degree of choice about placements and a positive and supported learning experience increases the likelihood of a positive experience. Doctors open to working outside a metropolitan area should be preferentially allocated an intern position in a non-metropolitan hospital and rotated to more rural locations.

show abstract

Finding solutions to the rural doctor shortage: the roles of selection versus undergraduate medical education at Newcastle

Abstract: Our data suggest that the rural doctor shortage would be improved by medical school admission policies favouring students from rural areas, and by encouraging rural placements towards the end of undergraduate training.

Cited by 109 publications

References 16 publications

Increasingly inequitable distribution of general practitioners in Australia, 1986–96

Increasingly inequitable distribution of general practitioners in Australia, 1986–96

Who wants to work in a rural health post? The role of intrinsic motivation, rural background and faith-based institutions in Ethiopia and Rwanda

How do rural placements affect urban-based Australian junior doctors’ perceptions of working in a rural area?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About