Clinical placement and rurality of career commencement: a pilot study.
This article reports on a project that aimed to discover whether rural placement can influence new graduates to take up rural positions, and what factors play a role in the decision-making. This pilot study reports the findings from a pre-survey of students (n = 110) who completed a questionnaire at the end of their rural placement in the Greater Green Triangle region, Australia. Findings are compared with matched questionnaire responses for students who subsequently completed a post-survey after graduation and who commenced work (n = 28). Rural placement appears to be associated with commencing rural practice after graduation. More graduates with an urban home address commenced rural practice than graduates with a rural home address who started their careers in the city. Longer placements may sway those with a city background to start work in a rural area.
Schoo
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AM
Greater Green Triangle University, Department of Rural Health (Flinders University and Deakin University), Hamilton, Victoria, Australia. adrian.schoo@greaterhealth.org
McNamara
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KP
Stagnitti
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KE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000488:Allied Health Personnel; D001315:Australia; D002321:Career Choice; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011231:Preceptorship; D019035:Rural Health Services; D012424:Rural Population; D013337:Students, Medical; D013338:Students, Nursing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires