Louise Young|Daniel Lindsay|Robin Ray
What do beginning students, in a rurally focused medical course, think about rural practice?
James Cook University|James Cook University|James Cook University
medical schools may select students attitudes towards rural medical practice yet ruralurban disparity availability medical practitioners services diminished recent times despite government initiatives increasing numbers trained career medicine one medical school focus rural remote medicine aims select students positive perceptions rural medical practice research project collected data perceptions medical students first week medical studiesstudents completed low stakes essay life work rural doctor initially formed part literacy assessment determine students requiring remediation students asked would consent essay reviewed research project data obtained students consented handed essays review 103 student essays underwent thematic analysis sentences coded three main themes rural lifestyle doctor role rural practice second level themes elicited results quantified according whether positive negative positive themes included rural lifestyle doctor role views doctor impact community broader work skills knowledge better relationships community patients negative themes included doctors health pressure doctor family problems greater workload privacy confidentiality issues cultural issues isolation limited resources financial impacts quantitisation data used transform essay sentences numerical form allowed statistical analysis comparison perceptions using z testsno significant differences number positive negative responses rural lifestyle rural practice found rural doctor role significantly positive negative views significant differences found positive views rural doctor role negative views rural practice participants capital city background reported significantly higher percentage responses related negative views rural practice regional rural counterparts students capital city areas significantly negative views rural doctor role especially related workload limited resources isolation students rural regional areasstudents entering medical school already positive negative views life work rural doctor students capital city areas significantly negative views despite selected enter medical course rural focus based expressed rural perceptions work required refine selection criteria year level experiences learning opportunities may positively influence student perceptions rural medical practice overcome early negative perceptions beginning medical school