The impact of undergraduate rural education on recently graduated physiotherapists

Recruitment and retention of health care workers has long been a problem for the rural workforce. One of the methods used to address this problem is exposure to rural practice at an undergraduate level. One such initiative is the Rural Professional Issues Program for undergraduate physiotherapists at the University of South Australia. This study assessed the impact of this program using a questionnaire issued to newly graduated physiotherapists in rural and metropolitan areas who had the opportunity to participate in the program. The results do not support the belief that prior rural experience influences the recruitment of graduates to country areas but do show that such experience assists in the making of an informed career choice. Newly graduated physiotherapists reported very similar professional roles and levels of professional support regardless of their geographical location.