National study of the impact of rural immersion programs on intended location of medical practice in New Zealand.

CONCLUSIONS: Long rural immersion is highly beneficial for increasing interest in rural work, increasing the likelihood that medical students will intend to work outside an urban setting. Students who signal an early rural intention are strong candidates for such programs later in their course, regardless of their background. A three-category classification for geographic background and career location intention permitted a more detailed understanding of the interplay among demographic variables and rural immersion in influencing career intentions. Following cohorts into their postgraduate years is needed to ascertain if these career location intentions persist. PMID: 33220701 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Rural and Remote Health - Category: Rural Health Tags: Rural Remote Health Source Type: research