Do Rural Student Health Clubs produce more rural health professionals? Sam Fogarty 1,2, Elissa Milford 1,3, Jennifer Moffatt 2, Peter Baker 2 1 TROHPIQ, 2 Rural Clinical School, University of Queensland, 3 Northside Clinical School, University of Queensland

Towards Rural and Outback Health Professionals in Queensland

TROHPIQ

Joint events

Study Aims 1.Investigate the influence of TROHPIQ on increasing UQ MBBS students’ interest in a rural career 2.Evaluation of TROHPIQ events/activities 3.Explore UQ MBBS students’ attitudes towards a rural career

Methods Instrument 21-item paper based questionnaire Sample Years 1 – 4 MBBS domestic students, University of Queensland

Results - preliminary Sample size: n=886; response rate = 58.5% Only preliminary analysis conducted to date Of particular interest is the qualitative data, presented here and illustrated with quotes

Results – Why I would work in a rural area Lifestyle ‘↓ traffic, ease of parking, familiarity of doctors, staff etc.’; ‘I like the small town vibe’ Experience ‘Of the greater medical experience that I will get compared to a metropolitan hospital’ Diversity ‘The diversity and scope of medical practice in rural hospitals’ Sense of community ‘I like the idea of being part of a community’

Results – Why I would NOT work in a rural area Family ‘Of poor educational opportunities for my (future) kids’; ‘My wife will not be able to find work there’ Isolation & remoteness ‘Everything closes on weekends, far away from cities & entertainment’; ‘Bad shopping!’; ‘It’s too far away from everything’ Lifestyle ‘I like the social opportunities of living in a metropolitan society’ Lack of specialities ‘My specialty of choice is not feasible in rural area’ Career ‘Reduced opportunity for career progression’

Results – For & against joining TROHPIQ For 1. Skills days 2. Interested in rural medicine 3. For information 4. Trips & events 5. For rural medicine experience Against 1.Apathy 2.Not interested (in TROHPIQ) 3.Cost 4.Not interested in rural medicine 5.Intending to join

Discussion First known study investigating association between rural health club membership and rural career interest Evidence-based policy for rural health clubs now possible Incentives and barriers for TROHPIQ memb. Doing research and being a FT student Where to from here …