Socially accountable medical education: graduate outcomes of a regional medical school
Prof Tarun Sen Gupta, James Cook University, Australia
Prof Richard Murray, James Cook University, Australia*
Prof Ian Wronski, James Cook University, Australia
Mr Torres Woolley, James Cook University, Australia
Aim: The James Cook University School of Medicine has a focus on rural, remote, tropical and Indigenous health reflected in innovative student selection, curriculum design and clinical placements. This paper analyses the practice locations and career intentions of the 350 graduates comprising the first five cohorts (2005-2009) from the first of the new Australian medical schools.
Overview: Graduates completed exit questionnaires on intended practice location and career plans with annual surveys thereafter. Analysis explored relationships between practice location and intention with geographical origin, location of schooling and other predictors.
Results: Data is available for all graduates in the first four cohorts and is being collated for the 2009 cohort. Approximately 52% of graduates undertook internships in northern Queensland and 64% in regional hospitals. One third of all graduates were practising ‘rurally’. Although the full workforce effect is yet to be felt, early results support regionally-based medical education, rurally-weighted selection and rurally-orientated curriculum in the production of medical workforce for regional, rural and remote Australia.
Conclusions: While long term studies are needed, early trends suggest the strategy is working and could be adopted by other programs. Policy challenges include ensuring adequate regionally-based vocational training capacity, particularly for generalist disciplines. Early data from this school supports further investment in regionally-based medical education.
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