OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to assess the possible mismatch of obstetrical skills between the training offered in Ecuadorian medical schools and the tasks required for compulsory rural service. SETTING Primary care, rural health centres in Southern Ecuador. PARTICIPANTS A total of 92 recent graduated medical doctors during their compulsory rural year. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOM...

INTRODUCTION The number of GPs providing procedural services in rural areas is declining; however, few studies have investigated issues directly relevant to recently qualified doctors. Limited published data and anecdotal reports in Australia suggest that a large proportion of doctors leave rural procedural practice soon after training. This study aimed to: (1) describe where GPs practice in th...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of a rural clinical placement on students' self-perceived clinical skills and work location choice post-graduation. METHODS A one month rural placement program was introduced in 2008-2009 for 4(th) year dental undergraduates. Student's views on the rural exercise were collected by pre and post self-completion questionnaires, which were distributed to ru...

OBJECTIVES The wider study aimed to evaluate specialists' outreach clinics in relation to their costs, processes, and effectiveness, including patients' and professionals' attitudes. The data on processes and attitudes are presented here. DESIGN Self administered questionnaires were drawn up for patients, their general practitioners (GPs) and specialists, and managers in the practice. Informa...

Since 1982, the Maternal and Child Health and Family Planning Extension Project in Bangladesh has compiled longitudinal panel data on rural women’s contact with household service providers who visit homes to discuss family planning and offer services to women on request. This study tests the hypothesis that home-based services reinforce customs of purdah (female seclusion) by sustaining the dep...

INTRODUCTION This study assessed the impact of a rural primary care preceptorship on medical students' self-perceived ability to provide acute, chronic, and preventive care, to perform procedures, to communicate with patients, and to understand the community and healthcare system. METHODS Students were surveyed about their self-assessed skills on 11 major components (97 items) immediately bef...

CONTEXT Regional Australia is critically short of registered nurses (RNs) due to an ageing nursing workforce and difficulty in attracting new staff. It is recognised that rural background is the most influential factor shaping a health professional's decision to practise in regional areas. Because of this, Charles Sturt University (CSU), with campuses throughout regional New South Wales (NSW), ...