Choosing a career in rural practice Queensland

As part of a broader investigation into the training needs of rural doctors, the reasoning behind decisions of graduates to enter rural practice in North Queensland was explored. North Queensland is a growing and diverse region that is home to 500 000 people but has had no local production of medical graduates. While prior rural exposure was found to be a powerful influence on the decision of some, a small number of those interviewed entered rural practice almost by chance, liked it and stayed. Should this finding be confirmed in more formal investigation, workforce planners would need to continue initiatives to recruit graduates who have no prior connection to rural life.