Escape to the country: lessons from interviews with rural general practice interns

Background and objective: There is limited research describing the implementation or outcomes of intern training in rural general practice. In 2018, Tasmania piloted its first rural general practice intern program. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of interns in the first rotation.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 rural general practice interns.

Results: Six main themes emerged: the social experience of rural/remote placements, the intern role, skill acquisition, challenges experienced by interns, placements reinforcing ideas of rural general practice and advice to future interns. Rural interns were positive about the program, reporting intensive learning experiences from a range of clinical environments. There were some challenges initially implementing the wave consulting model. The main difficulty faced by interns was isolation from peers/social support.

Discussion: Rural general practice intern terms support rural career pathways. Practice staff need to be mindful of the integration of interns into the practice environment, and programs need to provide training and support for the role.