| Title: |
Predictors of rural medical practice in Aotearoa New Zealand: a national outcomes prospective cohort study |
| Authors: |
Costello, Katelyn; Nixon, Garry; Stokes, Tim; Frampton, Chris; Lander, Janine; Wilkinson, Tim |
| Contributors: |
University of Otago |
| Source: |
BMJ Open ; volume 16, issue 3, page e114478 ; ISSN 2044-6055 2044-6055 |
| Publisher Information: |
BMJ |
| Publication Year: |
2026 |
| Description: |
Objectives Identifying the factors that increase the likelihood of medical graduates choosing rural medical careers is key to addressing the global shortage of rural doctors. Using linked graduate-workforce outcomes data, this study aimed to identify predictors of rural medical practice in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). Design A national prospective cohort study linking data from the longitudinal Medical School Outcomes Database to workforce location data. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to generate ORs for putative predictors of rural medical career. Setting and participants All NZ medical graduates from 2011 to 2019 were followed for a minimum of 3 years. Results During the study period, there were a total of 4152 medical graduates nationally. Included in the analysis were 3291 graduates who had linked longitudinal medical school and workforce data, of whom 133 (4%) doctors were classified as having decided on a career in rural medicine. Independent predictors of rural practice included being of rural origin (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.19 to 3.81, p=0.011), age older than 25 years at entry to medical school (OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.54 to 5.36, p |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| DOI: |
10.1136/bmjopen-2025-114478 |
| Availability: |
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-114478; https://syndication.highwire.org/content/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-114478 |
| Rights: |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.9A97FFC1 |
| Database: |
BASE |