Removing the roadblocks to medical and health student training in rural hospitals in Victoria

Objective: To assess the extent of undergraduate health student placements in regional hospitals in northern Victoria in 1999, prior to substantial changes in rural undergraduate medical education in Australia. Method: Cross sectional postal survey with telephone follow-up in north-east Victoria. Subjects were all 17 regional and rural hospitals involved in health student teaching in North-east Victoria. Main outcome measures were the numbers, duration and discipline of health students placements and reported barriers to such placements. Results: Large regional hospitals accounted for two-thirds of all undergraduate health student placements. Smaller sites placed few allied health students. Barriers to a larger, more sustainable system of rural placements and rotations included accommodation shortages and funding constraints, particularly in smaller rural hospitals. Conclusions: Adequate resourcing of placements of a meaningful duration, stronger institutional support, and improved resourcing of regional accommodation is required to facilitate a larger, more systematic and sustainable system of medical and health student placements in rural areas.