title: Longlook: initial outcomes of a longitudinal integrated rural clinical placement program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess outcomes in terms of academic performance and subsequent career choice in medical students undertaking a longitudinal integrated rural clinical placement.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective, observational, cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 'Longlook' program is a longitudinal integrated rural clinical placement run collaboratively by Griffith University, Queensland Rural Medical Education and Queensland Health as part of the Griffith medical program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants in this study were students completing years 3 and 4 in the Griffith medical program between 2010 and 2013. Assessment data were available for 683 participants, and internship location was available for all 472 students allocated within Queensland (87% of graduated students).
  
  
  METHODS
  Introduction of Longlook program.
  
  
  METHODS
  The primary outcome measures were performance in overall and clinical assessments, and intern location (rural versus urban).
  
  
  RESULTS
  When performance in prior year was taken into account, there were no statistically significant differences in academic performance in year 3 or 4 for rural and urban students. Of Longlook students who have graduated, 31/46 (67%) have undertaken internship at a rural location compared with 63/426 (15%) for urban hospital-based students (odds ratio 11.91; 95% confidence interval 6.08-23.32).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have demonstrated that it is feasible to implement a parallel longitudinal integrated rural clinical placement in an established conventional postgraduate medical program and provide similar learning outcomes. Initial findings suggest that this experience is translating into positive outcomes in terms of future careers in rural settings. There is a need to reappraise the structure of initiatives aimed at promoting rural careers in medicine.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.|Queensland Rural Medical Education, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitchener
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.|Queensland Rural Medical Education, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Day
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Faux
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Maxine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: Rural Generalist Pathway, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Blair
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koppen
authors.affiliation: Rural Generalist Pathway, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Manahan
authors.affiliation: Rural Generalist Pathway, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lennox
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Simon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Broadley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011793:Queensland; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019035:Rural Health Services; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: medical education; program evaluation; recruitment; rural health; workforce