Harnessing a university to address rural health workforce shortages in Australia.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the efforts of health faculties at the University of Sydney to contribute to the recruitment and retention of rural health professionals and examine for opportunities that would benefit from an institutional-led response.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
The University of Sydney as a leading institution for health science education in New South Wales, which produces approximately 40% of all health science graduates in the state each year.


METHODS
Staff responsible for course coordination within the faculties of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing and Midwifery, and Pharmacy; and eight disciplines of the Faculty of Health Sciences.


RESULTS
Of the two educational strategies associated with future rural employment, more progress has been made with rural placements, which were offered by all but one of the health courses. Efforts aimed at the other key strategy of attracting and supporting rural origin students were not well developed. Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy and only one Faculty of Health Sciences programs had more than 0.2 full-time equivalent staff to support rural initiatives.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the significant government investment in rural health education, the University of Sydney experience demonstrates that this does not necessarily translate into adequate internal resources available for every course or program to optimise performance for rural health workforce outcomes. In an environment of competing priorities, benefits are likely to accrue from strategies that draw on the existing resource base and operate through greater collaborative action, coordinated at the institutional level.
Lyle
David
D
Broken Hill Department of Rural Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. dlyle@gwahs.health.nsw.gov.au
Klineberg
Iven
I
Taylor
Susan
S
Jolly
Neryla
N
Fuller
Jeffrey
J
Canalese
Joe
J
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005178:Faculty / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009517:New South Wales; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010563:Personnel Turnover; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012106:Research / Q000458:organization & administration; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014146:Training Support; D014495:Universities / Q000458:organization & administration*