Search

Introduction: Rural background and the ability to adjust to rural practice are strong predictors of recruitment and retention of rural physicians. The degree to which rural background and being prepared for practice interrelate may provide insight into efforts aimed at increasing the supply of rural physicians. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between family medicine graduates' rural or urban background and their self-reported preparedness for practice. Methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional survey of family medicine graduates who completed the 2-year family medicine residency program at the University of Alberta or University of Calgary from 2001 to 2005. Self-rated preparedness was examined on a 4-point Likert scale for 18 elements of clinical family practice, 8 interdisciplinary issues, 10 practice management issues and 8 nonclinical aspects of family practice. Rural background was defined as having been broug ht up mainly in a rural community (population < 25 000), and urban background was defined as having been brought up mainly in an urban community (population [greater than or equal to] 25 000). Results: A significantly greater proportion of rural- than urban-background graduates felt prepared for 3 nonclinical aspects of rural practice: time demands of rural practice (95.0% v. 79.3%, p = 0.03), understanding rural culture (92.5% v. 70.2%, p = 0.005) and small-community living (92.5% v. 70.2%, p = 0.003). Conclusion: Rural background was associated with physicians feeling prepared for the nonclinical and cultural aspects of rural family practice, which suggests that focused rural exposure facilitates an understanding of rural culture. Urban-background physicians were reportedly less prepared for the nonclinical aspects of rural practice. Increased exposure of urban-background residents to the cultural aspects of rural practice may improve recruitment and retention of rural family physicians. Introduction : Des origines rurales et la capacite de s'adapter a une pratique en milieu rural sont de solides predicteurs du recrutement et de la retention des medecins en milieu rural. Le degre d'interconnexion entre des antecedents ruraux et une preparation a la pratique pourrait appuyer les efforts visant a faire augmenter les effectifs medicaux en milieu rural. Le but de cette etude etait d'analyser le lien entre les origines rurales ou urbaines des diplomes en medecine familiale et leur perception de leur degre de preparation a la pratique. Methodes : Il s'agit d'un sondage retrospectif transversal mene aupres de diplomes en medecine familiale qui ont termine un programme de residence de 2 ans en medecine familiale a l'Universite de l'Alberta ou a l'Universite de Calgary entre 2001 et 2005. On a examine le degre de preparation autopercu au moyen d'une echelle de Likert en 4 points appliquee a 18 elements de la pratique en medecine familiale, 8 questions interdisciplinaires, 10 questions de gestion de la pratique et 8 aspects non cliniques de la pratique. Les origines rurales se definissaient par le fait d'avoir ete eleve principalement dans une communaute rurale (population < 25 000) et les origines urbaines se definissaient par le fait d'avoir ete eleve principalement dans une communaute urbaine (population [greater than or equal to] 25 000). Resultats : Une proportion significativement plus grande de diplomes d'origine rurale plutot que d'origine urbaine se sont dit prepares pour 3 aspects non cliniques de la pratique en milieu rural : contraintes de temps associees a la pratique en milieu rural (95 % c. 79,3 %, p = 0,03), comprehension de la mentalite rurale (92,5 % c. 70,2 %, p = 0,005) et vie dans une petite communaute (92,5 % c. 70,2 %, p = 0,003). Conclusion : On a etabli un lien entre les origines rurales et le fait que les medecins se sentent prepares pour les aspects non cliniques et culturels de la pratique de la medecine familiale en milieu rural, ce qui donne a penser qu'une exposition a la ruralite facilite la comprehension de cette mentalite. Les medecins d'origine urbaine etaient, selon les rapports, moins prepares aux aspects non cliniques de la pratique en milieu rural. Exposer davantage les residents d'origine urbaine aux aspects culturels de la pratique en milieu rural pourrait ameliorer le recrutement et la fidelisation des medecins de famille en milieu rural., INTRODUCTION The shortage of physicians in rural areas is a widespread problem. An understanding of factors that affect recruitment and retention of family physicians into rural practice is important to [...]