Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Background Due to an ongoing shortage of rural medical professionals both in Australia and internationally, the recruitment and retention of rural doctors has been extensively researched. Mostly the research used quantitative methods to focus on factors associated with rural medical workforce recruitment and retention issues, and until now, limited work has investigated inter-relationships between these factors. Although a few qualitative studies have used thematic analysis to develop models to better understand these issues, none have specifically considered the attitudes of medical students, and female rural doctors. This Thesis responds to this need by using qualitative research methods to develop a model which incorporates feminisation of the medical workforce and generational change in the 21st century. Data were collected from Australian medical students and female rural general practitioners (GPs) as study participants. Aims The broad aims were to develop a model for understanding recruitment and retention of rural doctors in Australia, incorporating concepts of place, gender, and professional identity. Research Questions How are Australian medical students' and female general practitioners' perceptions of entering and remaining in a rural health career influenced by the constructs of place, gender and professional identity? Does this perception change as doctors progress through their careers from students to practising general practitioners? Methods A case series of three qualitative studies were used to develop a model for understanding rural GP recruitment and retention. Data, collected using focus groups and interviews, were analysed thematically by domains describing participants’ lives, and the interaction between the domains was explored to better understand influences on location choice. Results The ����Landscape of fulfilment��� model which is integral to this research, incorporates the domains of self, place, work, significant others, recreation, and significant others’ work as the domains of life which influence location choice. Most participants sought balance within their lives, and maximum fulfilment in all domains, but at times they faced conflict between domains. Individuals’ gender, professional, and place identities were related to how they viewed the domains and how the domains interacted. Conclusion This model provides a way of understanding the complex interaction between aspects of life which affect a doctor’s location choice. There is important potential to use the model to inform the development of rural medical recruitment and retention strategies, and as a basis for further rural health workforce research. The model has already been used by General Practice Education and Training (GPET) in developing post graduate general practice training research, and also by the Sustainable Practice Working Group of the Rural Faculty of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) in developing strategies for sustainable rural general practice.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/266623 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Creators | Tolhurst, Helen |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Copyright 2009 Helen Tolhurst |
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