Exploring Doctors’ Emerging Commitment to Rural and General Practice Roles over Their Early Career

Matthew McGrail, Belinda O’Sullivan, Tiana Gurney, Diann Eley and Srinivas Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan
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Matthew McGrail: Rural Clinical School, The University of Queensland, Rockhampton 4700, Australia
Belinda O’Sullivan: Rural Clinical School, The University of Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, Australia
Tiana Gurney: Rural Clinical School, The University of Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, Australia
Diann Eley: Office of Medical Education, The University of Queensland, Herston 4006, Australia
Srinivas Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan: Rural Clinical School, The University of Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, Australia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 22, 1-13

Abstract: Producing enough doctors working in general practice or rural locations, or both, remains a key global policy focus. However, there is a lack of evidence about doctors’ emerging commitment to these decisions. This study aimed to explore changes in the level of certainty about career interest in working in general practice and working rurally, as doctors pass through various early career stages. The participants were 775 eligible respondents to a 2019 survey of medical graduates of The University of Queensland from 2002–2018. Certainty levels of specialty choice were similar between GPs and specialists up until the beginning of registrar training. At that point, 65% of GPs compared with 80% of other specialists had strong certainty of their specialty field. Consistently (and significantly) less of those working rurally had strong certainty of the location where they wanted to practice medicine at each career time point. At the start of registrar training, a similar gap remained (strong certainty: 51% rural versus 63% metropolitan). This study provides new evidence that career intent certainty is more delayed for the cohort choosing general practice and rural practice than the other options. The low level of certainty in early career highlights the importance of regular positive experiences that help to promote the uptake of general practice and rural practice.

Keywords: rural health; general practice; career choices; early career doctors; health policy; workforce shortages (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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