The impact of an early_exposure program on medical students’ interest in and knowledge of rural medical practices: a questionnaire survey

Abstract

BackgroundMany medical students in Japan were brought up in urban areas, thus rural medical practice is often unfamiliar to them. The University of Tsukuba created a one-day early_exposure program to provide freshman students with experience in rural practices. This study was designed to clarify how this one-day early_exposure program affected medical students’ attitudes toward and knowledge of rural practices.FindingsFirst-year medical students (n = 103) were assigned to one of seven rural clinics in which they experienced rural practice for one day. A pre- and post-program questionnaire, rated on a 5-point Likert scale, was administered to assess students’ interest in and knowledge of rural medical practice, with higher scores indicating greater interest and knowledge. Respondents who gave answers of 4 or 5 were defined as having high interest and knowledge. One hundred and one (98.1%) responses were received from students. After the program, the percentage of students interested in rural medical practices was increased (pre- and post-program: 39.0% and 61.0%, respectively; P < .001), as was the number of students who wanted to become physicians in a rural medical practice (pre- and post-program: 53.0% and 73.0%, respectively; P < .01).ConclusionsOur one-day early_exposure program demonstrated a positive impact on medical students’ interest in and knowledge of rural medical practice. Further follow-up surveys are needed to clarify whether these effects are sustained long-term.

Association between rural clinical clerkship and medical students’ intentions to choose rural medical work after graduation: A cross-sectional study in western China

“…It seemed likely that most of the medical students who chose rural medical institutions for clinical clerkships were interested in rural medical work. Consistent with previous studies conducted in Japan [ 18 ], Australia [ 19 ], America [ 20 – 22 ], and New Zealand [ 23 ], this study demonstrated a significant association between medical students’ experiences with rural medical clerkships and their intentions to choose rural medical work after graduation. The results indicated that medical students who had experience with a rural clinical clerkship were 1.25 times more likely to have intentions to work in rural medical institutions after graduation than those without relevant experience.…”

“…A large number of medical schools in many countries had implemented the relevant strategy of offering medical students opportunities to practice in rural areas as part of their educational experience. In Japan, the University of Tsukuba created a one-day early-exposure program to provide fresh students with experience in rural practices, which demonstrated a positive impact on medical students’ interest in rural medical practice, with an increase from 39.0% (pre-program) to 61.0% (post-program) [ 18 ]. In Australia, medical students from three universities (the Universities of Sydney, Wollongong and Adelaide) were involved in a longitudinally integrated placement program that enabled medical students to live and work in a rural and remote setting and surrounding regions for 6–12 months for clinical learning, and this powerfully influenced their intentions to practice rurally [ 19 ].…”

Attitude towards working in rural areas: a cross-sectional survey of rural-oriented tuition-waived medical students in Shaanxi, China

“…In particular, improving the RTMSs’ satisfaction with the educational scheme in the medical university seems to be very conducive to the students’ intentions of remaining in rural areas after the contract expired. Related studies have found that improving the curricular design (i.e., matching curricula with rural health needs and implementing early exposure and experience to rural medical work) could increase medical students’ interest in rural medical practice [ 24 , 33 , 34 ].…”

A Questionnaire Survey in Ehime Prefecture, Japan Revealed the Residents’ Preferences for Community Medicine and Medical Education

“…It is also essential to ensure that trainees have a high quality of life while living in the community, with improved living environments and support programs. To achieve this, it is necessary to share best practices among neighboring hospitals, continuously enhance training programs, and to listen to the trainees' opinions, all under close collaboration with each community's major hospitals and university hospitals' postgraduate clinical training centers [14][15][16].…”