Flinders University rural medical school student program outcomes

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Rural Health Workforce Studies
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Geographical maldistribution of medical professionals is a persistent challenge in Australia.
• Rural Clinical School (RCS) programs aim to address this imbalance by training doctors in rural settings.
• The impact of specific RCS programs on long-term workforce location requires robust evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of the Flinders University Parallel Rural Community Curriculum (PRCC) Rural Clinical School (RCS) program on the geographical distribution of medical practitioners.
• To compare the rural practice locations of PRCC-trained graduates with those trained exclusively in metropolitan settings.
• To determine the long-term effects of rural training on medical workforce outcomes in Australia.

Main Methods:

• A data linkage study comparing two groups of Flinders University medical graduates (1999-2012).
• One group trained at a metropolitan tertiary hospital; the other participated in the rural PRCC RCS program.
• Australian Health Practitioners Authority data were used to ascertain practice locations in 2017.

Main Results:

• Over one-third (36.8%) of PRCC graduates practiced in non-metropolitan areas (Modified Monash categories 2-7) in 2017.
• This contrasts with 20.7% of metropolitan-trained graduates practicing in non-metropolitan areas (OR 2.2, P <0.001).
• The disparity was more pronounced when examining smaller rural centers (MM 3-7 and MM 5-7).

Conclusions:

• The Flinders University RCS Program in South Australia demonstrates a strong correlation with positive long-term rural medical workforce outcomes.
• RCS programs, particularly those with a significant rural community curriculum, are effective in encouraging doctors to practice in rural areas.
• These findings support the continued investment in and expansion of rural clinical training programs to address workforce shortages.