What do dental students value about their rural placements-Is clinical experience enough?

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Rural Health Workforce Development

Background:

• The Melbourne Dental School (MDS) offers rural clinical placements to final-year dental students.
• These placements aim to provide practical experience and rural lifestyle exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate dental students' experiences in rural clinical placements.
• To determine if these placements increase interest in rural dental employment post-graduation.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative thematic analysis of open-ended questionnaire responses from final-year dental students.
• Students completed mandatory 5-week rural placements in 2018 and 2019.

Main Results:

• Four key themes emerged: rich clinical experience, social capital, rural life, and infrastructure.
• Students reported high satisfaction across all identified themes.

Conclusions:

• The rural clinical program positively impacts dental students' experience and interest in rural practice.
• Exposure to rural settings and supportive relationships are crucial factors influencing career choices.