title: Developing the future Indigenous health workforce: The feasibility and impact of a student-led placement programme in remote Indigenous communities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe and evaluate a programme where medical students designed and implemented Indigenous health placements for students with an interest in rural/Indigenous health.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2011, a student-led programme at the University of Adelaide was set up to give medical students the opportunity to undertake outreach trips and clinical placements in remote Indigenous communities. Twenty-four medical students attended trips to remote communities between 2012 and 2014. Here we evaluate our programme using a single-arm experimental design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Responses to questionnaire items before and after attending an outreach placement, scored on 6-point Likert scales.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Following their remote Indigenous health placement, participants expressed a significantly higher mean likelihood of working in an Indigenous community in the future (3.17 (2.69-3.64) versus 4.00 (3.65-4.35); P < 0.007). Furthermore, after their placement participants felt better prepared to work in Indigenous communities (mean 1.79 (1.44-2.14) versus 3.21 (2.88-3.54); P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A placement programme initiated and run by medical students can provide meaningful exposure to Indigenous health. Implementation of this student-led model in other medical schools may encourage nationwide development of the Indigenous health workforce.
authors.affiliation: Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia. johanna.warren@sa.gov.au.
authors.forename: Johanna M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.affiliation: Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Georgina L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Irish
authors.affiliation: Royal Darwin Hospital, Tiwi, NT, Australia.
authors.forename: Brydie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Purbrick
authors.affiliation: University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Joule J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Danielle J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
authors.affiliation: University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Randall J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Faull
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006280:Health Workforce; D006801:Humans; D044382:Population Groups; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D012577:Schools, Medical; D013021:South Australia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Indigenous community placements; curriculum development; medical education; student advocacy