Impact of undergraduate and postgraduate rural training, and medical school entry criteria on rural practice among Australian general practitioners: national study of 2414 doctors

Abstract

Undergraduate rural training, postgraduate training and medical school entry criteria favouring rural students, all are associated with an increased likelihood of being a rural GP. Longer rural postgraduate training is more strongly associated with rural practice. These findings argue for continuation of rural undergraduate training opportunities and rural entry schemes, and an expansion in postgraduate training opportunities for GPs.

Educational factors that influence the urban-rural distribution of health professionals in South Africa: A case-control study

“…These results are similar to those in Australia. 16 In contrast, a study in Canada 17 found no significant difference between physicians exposed to rural practice during undergraduate training and those who were not, in respect of their choice of a rural practice location. At the University of Transkei, South Africa, the stated preference for rural practice among medical students decreased from 48.5% in the first year of study to 5.9% in the final year, despite a community-based curriculum.…”

Context counts: training health workers in and for rural and remote areas

“…Studies have shown that the three factors most strongly associated with entering rural practice are: (i) a rural background; (ii) positive clinical and educational experiences in rural settings as part of undergraduate medical education; (iii) targeted training for rural practice at the postgraduate level. 7,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] In addition, there is evidence that academic involveUne traduction en français de ce résumé figure à la fin de l'article. Al final del artículo se facilita una traducción al español.…”

Strategies to increase the enrolment of students of rural origin in medical school: recommendations from the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada

“…3,4 Studies in Canada and elsewhere indicate that rural physicians are up to 5 times more likely than their urban counterparts to come from a rural background. [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] A recent study in Ontario found that one-third of rural physicians came from a rural background. 6 Woloschuk and Tarrant 18 reported that Canadian clerkship students of rural origin were significantly more likely than their peers raised in urban areas to indicate that they planned to do rural locums and to practise in rural communities.…”