Developing interconnectedness is critical in retaining rural general practitioners: A qualitative thematic analysis of recently recruited general practitioners to South East New South Wales, Australia.

ABSTRACT: Australia, in common with many countries globally, has a shortage of doctors working rurally. Whilst strategies and current research focus on recruitment, attrition from rural practice is a significant determinant of such shortages. Understanding doctors' decisions to stay or leave, once recruited, may provide further insights on how to address this rural differential. This study comprises a qualitative study of 21 recently recruited nationally-trained doctors and international medical graduates to a rural area of New South Wales, Australia. Interviews focused on their experiences prior to and within rural practice, and how these influenced their future career intentions. We used reflexive thematic analysis with each interview coded by two researchers to build an explanatory framework. Our

SUBMITTER: Burgis-Kasthala S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10947638 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature