Rural work outcomes of medical students participating in a contracted Extended Rural Cohort (ERC) program by
Belinda O'Sullivan1, Matthew McGrail2, Laura Major3
1a School of Rural Health , Monash University , Bendigo , Australia.
Medical Teacher
|March 26, 2019
Summary
The Extended Rural Cohort (ERC) program attracts rural students and increases rural work outcomes. However, alternative rural training paths chosen after medical school entry may be more effective for rural workforce distribution.
Area of Science:
- Medical education
- Rural health workforce studies
- Public health policy
Background:
- Medical schools face challenges in training doctors for rural practice.
- The Extended Rural Cohort (ERC) program aims to increase the rural medical workforce.
- Understanding the effectiveness of different rural training models is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the rural work location outcomes of the Extended Rural Cohort (ERC) program.
- To compare ERC participants with students undertaking alternative rural training pathways.
- To identify factors influencing rural practice placement among medical graduates.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a large university medical school cohort study (2412 graduates).
- Regression modeling to compare 2017 work locations of ERC participants versus other groups.
- Assessment of student preference levels for the ERC program.
Main Results:
- ERC participants were more likely to work rurally compared to metropolitan-trained graduates (OR: 2.69-3.27).
- Lower preference for the ERC program was associated with higher odds of rural work.
- Non-ERC students choosing rural training after course entry showed the strongest odds of rural work (OR: 4.62) and placement in smaller towns (RRR: 4.08).
Conclusions:
- The ERC program successfully attracts students with rural backgrounds and improves rural work outcomes.
- Alternative rural training pathways, selected after medical course entry, may be more effective in improving rural workforce distribution.
- Policy considerations should explore flexible rural training options to optimize rural workforce distribution.
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