La Forgia A, Williams M, Williams S, Walters L, McArthur L, Gonzalez-Chica D. Are Australian rural clinical school students' career choices influenced by perceived opinions of primary care? Evidence from the national Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators survey.
Aust J Rural Health 2021;
29:373-381. [PMID:
34081368 DOI:
10.1111/ajr.12750]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether perceived opinions of primary care are associated with student career preferences after graduation among a rural clinical school cohort and whether the preferred location of practice moderates these relationships.
DESIGN
Cross-sectional study using data from the national Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators survey.
PARTICIPANTS/SETTING
Medical students across 18 Australian universities who completed a clinical year in a rural setting in 2019.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)
Career preference in primary care after graduation.
RESULTS
The survey was completed by 624 students (response rate = 69.9%). A preference for primary care was reported by 35.5% (95% CI: 29.4-42.0) of students and was more likely among those age 30+ years, with a rural background, or preferring to practise rurally after graduation. Students reported that primary care was more commonly respected by medical academics (66.8%) than peers (24.0%) or junior/hospital doctors (24.0%). In adjusted analysis, none of the perceived opinions were associated with student career preferences. However, among students aiming to work in small rural locations, a career in primary care was associated with more frequent reports that peers had poor opinions of primary care (P = .004).
CONCLUSION
Rural clinical school students perceive negative opinions of primary care, particularly among peers and junior/hospital doctors. Students aiming to work in small towns after graduation are more likely to report negative opinions among their peers, suggesting they may be more attuned to negative attitudes. This points to the need for a community of practice of like-minded peers and clinicians to preserve the career interest of these students.
Collapse