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Resilience, of individuals, is a well-established concept in the psychology/mental health literatures, but has been little explored in relation to communities. Related theory in the community development and social impact assessment literature provides insight into qualities and assets of communities that enable them to develop effectively or to adapt to major changes. This article reports the components of community and individual resilience identified through a participatory action research study within a rural Australian community. These are social networks and support; positive outlook; learning; early experiences; environment and lifestyle; infrastructure and support services; sense of purpose; diverse and innovative economy; embracing differences; beliefs; and leadership. These components entail interactions between individuals, the community, infrastructure, the environment and the economy in the process of building resilience. The findings extend from previous research by recognizing environmental and economic factors, infrastructure and support services, as enhancing resilience, and expand the limited evidence base for those wishing to promote resilience at the community scale.

The analysis of morphological characters exhibited by the earliest ontogenetic stages of Middle Jurassic, Cretaceous and Holocene thecideoid species, together with the application of techniques that reveal the presence of early juvenile morphological characters buried in the shell fabric of adult representatives of the species concerned, reinforce the idea of a development pattern common to thecideoids from the early Middle Jurassic to the present day. Basic and long-standing differences in the architecture of the brachidial skeleton of thecidellinids and lacazellins may be correlated with the morphology of thecospiroids and indicate that the Thecidellinidae and Thecideidae may have emerged as sister groups as early as the Triassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Australian Rural Clinical School (RCS) initiative has been addressing the rural medical workforce shortage at the medical education level for over a decade. A major expectation of this initiative is that it will improve rural medical workforce recruitment and subsequent retention through a rurally based undergraduate clinical training experience. The longitudinal nature of these workforce initiatives means that definitive evidence of its impact on the shortage of rural doctors is yet to be provided; however, to date cross-sectional studies are accumulating a measure of efficacy for these initiatives by monitoring early career factors such as internship location choice and speciality choice of RCS graduates. This article reports on a study in one RCS that is monitoring the impact of rural undergraduate clinical training on trends in workforce participation patterns of its graduates as long as 9 years in the workforce. Career location and speciality choice are reported as well as perspectives on early career intentions and the reality of making career and life decisions as a doctor in the medical workforce., Methods: A longitudinal mixed methods sequential explanatory design employed a quantitative data collection phase followed by a qualitative phase with the merging of data sources during the interpretation and analysis. In 2007 a database was established that maintained the contact details of all former graduates since 2002. Every 2 years graduates are invited to participate in a survey and provide an update on the influences on their current career intentions/decisions. The qualitative sample was recruited through a survey question asking for interest in participating in an interview., Results: The whole-sample survey results showed that out of a 64% (N = 115) response rate, 40% of respondents were currently working in non-urban locations. The majority (

Background: Chronic condition management in general practice is projected to account for 50% of all consultations by 2051. General practices under present workforce conditions will be unable to meet this demand. Nurse led collaborative care models of chronic disease management have been successful overseas and are proposed as one solution., Objective: This article provides an interim report on a prospective randomised trial to investigate the acceptability, cost effectiveness and feasibility of a nurse led model of care for chronic conditions in Australian general practice., Method: A qualitative study focused on the impact of this model of care through the perceptions of practice staff from one urban and one regional practice in Queensland, and one Victorian rural practice., Discussion: Primary benefits of the collaborative care model focused on increased efficiency and communication between practice staff and patients. The increased degree of patient self responsibility was noted by all and highlights the motivational aspect of chronic disease management.

Introduction: The aim of the Rural Medicine Rotation (RMR) at the University of Queensland is to give all third year medical students exposure to, and an understanding of, clinical practice in Australian rural or remote locations. Because the primary role of the Rural Clinical School is to improve medical recruitment and retention in rural areas, the provision of positive student learning experiences and subsequent ability to make adequately informed rural career choices is of fundamental importance. A difficulty in achieving this is the relatively short period of student clinical placements, in only one or two rural or remote locations. A web-based Clinical Discussion Board (CDB) has been introduced to address this problem by allowing students at all clinical sites to discuss their rural experiences and clinical issues with each other. The rationale behind the CDB is to encourage an enhanced understanding of the breadth and depth of rural medicine through peer-based learning., Methods: All third year students undertaking the RMR are required to submit a minimum of two original contributions, on any clinically related topic, and two replies to other submissions on the CDB. At the end of their 8 week rotation, the students evaluate the CDB by answering a short survey that focuses on the ease of use and access and the educational value of the CDB. A question regarding the influence of the RMR on their interest in pursuing a rural medicine career is also asked. The CDB transcripts are further analysed for type of article posted, category of medicine that was discussed and the specific topic under discussion., Results: This article reports on the results from the first two RMR of 2005. A total of 83 third year medical students undergoing an 8 week rural rotation posted a total of 819 responses on the CDB. This resulted in 217 individual articles or topics discussed within 12 broad medical categories. The student ratings of the ease of use and access of the CDB were high, as were their ratings of its educational value and its potential to increase knowledge of rural medicine. Likewise, the majority of students felt the RMR increased their interest in rural medicine., Conclusions: The CDB offers a unique way to understand the concerns and interests of third year medical students immersed in their RMR. It highlights the issues they need to discuss with their peers, and offers the potential to guide future curriculum changes in response to identified needs. A major advantage of the CDB is its ability to enable all students to access a wide variety of rural practice experiences by sharing ideas and strategies they encounter. Likewise, the CBD encourages the development of deep reflective patterns of learning through a peer-based process. Equally important is the potential for building professional networks, interpersonal relationships, teamwork, collaboration and collegial support systems. These networks and relationships are essential for rural medicine to help alleviate the possible isolation recognised in rural life.