title: Preparedness for rural community leadership and its impact on practice location of family medicine graduates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify non-clinical dimensions of preparedness for rural practice and to determine whether preparedness for rural practice is predictive of rural practice location.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional postal survey mailed in 2001.
  
  
  METHODS
  Communities across Canada where graduates were practising.
  
  
  METHODS
  Graduates (n = 369) of the family medicine residency program at the universities of Alberta (U of A) and Calgary (U of C) between 1996 and 2000, inclusive.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a 4-point scale, graduates rated the extent to which the residency program prepared them for eight dimensions of rural practice: clinical demands of rural practice, understanding rural culture, small community living, balancing work and personal life, establishing personal/professional boundaries, becoming a community leader, handling a 'fish bowl' lifestyle, and choosing a suitable community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Identification of non-clinical dimensions of preparedness for rural practice and whether scores on preparedness scales are predictive of rural practice location.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall response rate was 76.4%. Factor analysis of the eight preparedness items produced two factors, 'rural culture' and 'rural community leader' which explained 72% of the variance. The alpha coefficient for each factor was 0.87. Odds ratios revealed that family medicine graduates prepared for rural community leadership roles were 1.92 (CI = 1.03-3.61) times more likely to be in rural practice. Rural physicians were also 2.14 (CI = 1.13-4.03) times as likely to have a rural background.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preparedness to be a rural community leader and having a rural background were predictive of rural practice. Educators should consider this in both family medicine residency admissions policy and practice and when designing and implementing family medicine residency curricula.
authors.affiliation: Undergraduate Medical Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. woloschu@ucalgary.ca
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Woloschuk
authors.forename: Rodney
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Crutcher
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Szafran
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002170:Canada; D002321:Career Choice; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003469:Culture; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D011365:Professional Practice Location / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*