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Preferred practice location at medical school commencement strongly determines graduates' rural preferences and work locations
Author(s) -
Herd Marie S.,
Bulsara Max K.,
Jones Michael P.,
Mak Donna B.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
australian journal of rural health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.48
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1440-1584
pISSN - 1038-5282
DOI - 10.1111/ajr.12301
Subject(s) - work (physics) , medical school , medical education , medicine , psychology , family medicine , engineering , mechanical engineering
Objective To identify factors influencing whether Australian medical graduates prefer to, or actually, work rurally. Design Secondary analysis of longitudinal data from Medical Schools Outcomes Database ( MSOD ) using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Setting Twenty Australian medical schools. Participants Australian or New Zealand citizens and Australian permanent residents who completed MSOD questionnaires between 2006 and 2013. Main outcome measures Preferred and actual work locations 1 ( PGY 1) and 3 ( PGY 3) years postgraduation. Results Of 20 784 participants, 4028 completed a PGY 1 or PGY 3 questionnaire. Self‐reported preference for rural practice location at medical school commencement was the most consistent independent predictor of whether a graduate would have a rural location preference at PGY 1 (odds ratio ( OR ) 6.07, 95% confidence interval ( CI ) 4.91–7.51) and PGY 3 ( OR 7.95, 95% CI 4.93–12.84), and work rurally during PGY 1 ( OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.01–1.88) and PGY 3 ( OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.30–2.64). The effect of preferred practice location at medical school commencement is independent of, and enhances the effect of, rural background. Graduates of graduate‐entry programs or with dependent children were less likely to have worked rurally during PGY 1 and PGY 3 respectively. Conclusion The most consistent factor associated with rural preferences and work location was students' preferred location of practice at medical school commencement; this association is independent of, and enhances the effect of, rural background. Better understanding of what determines rural preference at medical school commencement and its influence on rural workplace outcomes beyond PGY 3 is required to inform Australian medical school selection policies and rural health curricula.