Junior medical officer recruitment: challenges and lessons from the Northern Territory.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the influence of newspaper and Internet advertising, word-of-mouth endorsement and student experience in attracting applicants for junior medical officer positions in the Northern Territory.


METHODS
A retrospective study.


METHODS
Fifty-four applicants for junior medical officer positions.


METHODS
Proportion of applicants who reported newspaper advertising, Internet advertising, word of mouth or personal experience in attracting their application for an intern or resident medical officer position.


RESULTS
Nineteen per cent of applicants saw the newspaper advertisement and 52% of the Internet advertisement. Eighty-seven per cent of applicants were influenced by word-of-mouth endorsement and 52% by student experience in the Northern Territory or Indigenous health.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that word-of-mouth endorsement has the greatest influence in attracting applicants for junior medical officer positions in Northern Territory hospitals.
McDonald
Robert
R
Katherine District Hospital, Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia. robjmcdon@yahoo.com
Sathianathan
Vino
V
D000329:Advertising / Q000379:methods*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D003142:Communication; D004651:Employment / Q000458:organization & administration; D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008389:Marketing of Health Services; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D009524:Newspapers as Topic; D015876:Northern Territory; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce