University rural health clubs: nurturing the future Australian rural workforce

Australian university rural health clubs (RHC) are part of a national strategy to address the rural health workforce shortage. The student members of these clubs throughout Australia comprise the National Rural Health Network (NRHN). The NRHN is a multidisciplinary body representing medical, nursing and allied health students, aiming to increase the health workforce and health outcomes for rural and remote Australians. The NRHN and its constituent clubs run a variety of activities to promote rural careers to both school-aged and university students. These have included events at local, state and national levels.

The purpose of the present article is to describe the roles and activities of RHC and the NRHN as they aim to contribute towards developing a sustainable rural workforce. Key features of RHC and the NRHN are: (1) providing positive rural experiences; (2) peer promotion of rural health; (3) personal and professional development; (4) providing a volunteer workforce for rural health initiatives; and (5) cross-disciplinary interaction. The NRHN is currently investigating methods to quantify the impact of the RHC on the career choices of potential rural health professionals.

The NRHN and its constituent clubs are student-driven initiatives occupying a unique place in addressing the rural workforce shortage. Although little formal evidence exists for their success, the issues raised in this article illustrate their importance and broader benefits in this field.