Is rural medicine a separate discipline?
BACKGROUND
The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine was established in 1997 to meet what rural doctors perceived as their unmet educational and professional needs. However, the issue of just how different rural practice is from urban practice remains a topic of debate.


METHODS
This paper explores the scope of rural medical practice, through the use of clinical scenarios and a synthesis of the research literature, to determine if rural medical practice is emerging as a distinct discipline in Australia.


CONCLUSIONS
Rural and remote medical practice is different, and additional, to urban practice, in the context, content and process of care. Three of the four criteria for determining rural medical practice as a distinct discipline exist in Australia. The fourth criteria: sufficient external recognition of rural medicine as a distinct discipline, awaits resolution.


CONCLUSIONS
This paper examines a key issue that has been a source of conflict between the relevant stakeholders for a decade. By placing the differences between rural and urban medical practice within a framework, supported by published work, this paper describes what is required to justify rural medical practice as a distinct discipline for the first time.
Smith
Janie
J
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Molecular Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia. Janie.Smith@jcu.edu.au
Hays
Richard
R
D001315:Australia; D002983:Clinical Competence; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011365:Professional Practice Location / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D019114:Remote Consultation; D012423:Rural Health; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013038:Specialization; D014504:Urban Health; D000078329:Workforce