Removing the Roadblocks to Medical and Health Student Training in Rural Hospitals in Victoria

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Abstract
Objective: To assess the extent of undergraduate health student placements in regional hospitals in northern Victoria in 1999, prior to substantial changes in rural undergraduate medical education in Australia. Method: Cross sectional postal survey with telephone follow-up in north-east Victoria. Subjects were all 17 regional and rural hospitals involved in health student teaching in North-east Victoria. Main outcome measures were the numbers, duration and discipline of health students placements and reported barriers to such placements. Results: Large regional hospitals accounted for two-thirds of all undergraduate health student placements. Smaller sites placed few allied health students. Barriers to a larger, more sustainable system of rural placements and rotations included accommodation shortages and funding constraints, particularly in smaller rural hospitals. Conclusions: Adequate resourcing of placements of a meaningful duration, stronger institutional support, and improved resourcing of regional accommodation is required to facilitate a larger, more systematic and sustainable system of medical and health student placements in rural areas. What is already known: The extent of training of health professionals in rural Australia is increasing rapidly. Fears have been expressed that the capacity to deliver quality experience in rural practice may be limited. What this study adds: This cross sectional survey of rural Victorian hospitals shows that there is a major untapped potential in rural hospitals of all sizes to assist with training in rural practice, but that a number of barriers to such training need to be removed to reach full capacity.