Keeping women doctors in the country

Women are disproportionately poorly represented in the rural Australian medical workforce and appropriate retention policies should recognise the factors contributing to a positive rural experience for female doctors. This study describes the professional, social and family experiences of 10 female general practitioners (GPs) working in rural South Australia. Variety of work, the opportunity to provide continuity of care and being valued by the community were important factors in rural recruitment and retention. Successful retention of a female rural medical workforce also required flexible on-call and after-hours arrangements, provision of additional support and employment opportunities for non-medical spouses and partners; and provision of appropriate child care services to rural medical families. To date, there have been few initiatives specifically addressing the concerns of female rural medical practitioners. An advisory body of rural women doctors and community representatives can provide practical guidance regarding the opportunities available for rural communities to effectively support their women doctors.