Sample representativeness and influence of attrition on longitudinal data collected as part of a national medical career tracking project.

Background: The Medical Schools Outcomes Database and Longitudinal Tracking Project (MSOD) in New Zealand is one example of a national survey-based resource of medical student experiences and career outcomes. Longitudinal studies of medical students are valuable for evaluating the outcomes of medical programs against workforce objectives. As a prospective longitudinal multiple-cohort study, survey response rates at each collection point of MSOD vary.

Immunostimulants versus placebo for preventing exacerbations in adults with chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic bronchitis may experience recurrent exacerbations, which negatively impact prognosis and quality of life, and can impose a significant socioeconomic burden on the individual and wider society. Immunostimulants are a broad category of therapies that may theoretically enhance non-specific immunity against several respiratory insults, thereby reducing exacerbation risk and severity. However, evidence to date for their use in this population is limited.

Women's interest in surgery as a career in the early postgraduate period: a national longitudinal study.

Background: Women remain underrepresented in Surgery in Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ). This study described interest in surgical careers by gender in the early postgraduate period and associated influencing factors.

Methods: AoNZ medical graduates between 2012 and 2016 responding to an Exit Questionnaire (EQ) at graduation and 3 years later (PGY3) as part of the Medical Schools Outcomes Database and Longitudinal Tracking Project (MSOD) were included.

Effects of a regional-rural immersion program in Northland, New Zealand, on returning to work in that region.

Introduction: It is well established that rural workforce outcomes are more likely among medical graduates who spend time training in non-urban areas; however, fewer studies have assessed whether graduates are more likely to return to the specific area where they undertook rural training.

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether graduates who had undertaken a regional-rural immersion program in Northland, NZ, were more likely to have returned to work in Northland as of mid-2021, relative to peers who did not participate.

Design: This prospective cohort study used longitudinal tracking survey responses, medical school administrative data and workforce outcome information.

How rural is rural? The relationship between rural background of medical students and their career location intentions.

Objective: Rural background is associated with greater interest in rural practice. However, there is no universally agreed definition of 'rural' background used in medical school selection. This study explored the association between definitions of 'rural' background and students' intended career locations.

National study of the impact of rural immersion programs on intended location of medical practice in New Zealand.

Introduction: New Zealand (NZ) faces an ongoing shortage of rural medical professionals. In an effort to increase interest in rural practice, both of the medical schools in NZ offer rural immersion programs as well as rural entry pathways. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of long (>33-week) rural immersion with a short (5-week interprofessional) rural immersion or no rural immersion on the career location intentions of NZ medical students.

Phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with cough, sputum production or dyspnoea, and a reduction in lung function, quality of life, and life expectancy. Apart from smoking cessation, no other treatments that slow lung function decline are available. Roflumilast and cilomilast are oral phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE₄) inhibitors proposed to reduce the airway inflammation and bronchoconstriction seen in COPD.

Enhancing Māori and Pasifika graduate interest in ophthalmology surgical training in New Zealand/Aotearoa: Barriers and opportunities.

Importance: Improving the representation of indigenous ophthalmologists in New Zealand.

Background: Māori, indigenous to New Zealand/Aotearoa and Pacific Peoples indigenous to Pacific Island Nations living in New Zealand, experience poorer health outcomes across several ophthalmic conditions. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists have identified indigenous workforce development as a priority.

The employment gap: the relationship between medical student career choices and the future needs of the New Zealand medical workforce.

Aims: To determine the career decision intentions of graduating doctors, and the relationship between these intentions and the predicted medical workforce needs in New Zealand in 10 years' time.

Methods: A workforce forecasting model developed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) has been used to predict the proportion of doctors required in each medical specialty in 2028 in New Zealand. The future work intentions of recently graduated doctors at the Universities of Auckland and Otago were collected from the Medical Student Outcomes Data (MSOD), and compared with these predicted needs.

Mucolytic agents versus placebo for chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Individuals with chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may suffer recurrent exacerbations with an increase in volume or purulence of sputum, or both. Personal and healthcare costs associated with exacerbations indicate that therapies that reduce the occurrence of exacerbations are likely to be useful. Mucolytics are oral medicines that are believed to increase expectoration of sputum by reducing its viscosity, thus making it easier to cough it up.

Developing New Zealand's medical workforce: realising the potential of longitudinal career tracking.

For over a decade, the Medical Schools Outcomes Database and Longitudinal Tracking Project (MSOD) has collected data from medical students in Australia and New Zealand. This project aims to explore how individual student background or attributes might interact with curriculum or early postgraduate training to affect eventual career choice and location. In New Zealand, over 4,000 students have voluntarily provided information at various time points, and the project is at a stage where some firm conclusions are starting to be drawn.

Prophylactic antibiotic therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Background: There has been renewal of interest in the use of prophylactic antibiotics to reduce the frequency of exacerbations and improve quality of life in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Objectives: To determine whether or not regular (continuous, intermittent or pulsed) treatment of COPD patients with prophylactic antibiotics reduces exacerbations or affects quality of life.

Search Methods: We searched the Cochrane Airways Group Trials Register and bibliographies of relevant studies.

Influence of student debt on health career location and specialty.

INTRODUCTION In New Zealand (NZ), there are shortages of health professionals in rural areas and in primary care. AIM This study aims to examine the association of student debt levels of medical, nursing, pharmacy and optometry students with: (1) preferred geographical location of practice, specifically preference to work in urban vs. rural areas; and (2) preferred career specialties, specifically interest in primary health care.

Influenza vaccine for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Background: Influenza vaccinations are currently recommended in the care of people with COPD, but these recommendations are based largely on evidence from observational studies, with very few randomised controlled trials (RCTs) reported. Influenza infection causes excess morbidity and mortality in people with COPD, but there is also the potential for influenza vaccination to cause adverse effects, or not to be cost effective.

Objectives: To determine whether influenza vaccination in people with COPD reduces respiratory illness, reduces mortality, is associated with excess adverse events, and is cost effective.

Cut-scores revisited: feasibility of a new method for group standard setting.

Background: Standard setting is one of the most contentious topics in educational measurement. Commonly-used methods all have well reported limitations. To date, there is not conclusive evidence suggesting which standard setting method yields the highest validity.

The efficacy of medical student selection tools in Australia and New Zealand.

Objectives: To estimate the efficacy of selection tools employed by medical schools for predicting the binary outcomes of completing or not completing medical training and passing or failing a key examination; to investigate the potential usefulness of selection algorithms that do not allow low scores on one tool to be compensated by higher scores on other tools.

Design, Setting And Participants: Data from four consecutive cohorts of students (3378 students, enrolled 2007-2010) in five undergraduate medical schools in Australia and New Zealand were analysed. Predictor variables were student scores on selection tools: prior academic achievement, Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT), and selection interview.

Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with cough, sputum production or dyspnoea and a reduction in lung function, quality of life and life expectancy. Apart from smoking cessation, there are no other treatments that slow lung function decline. Roflumilast and cilomilast are oral phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE) inhibitors proposed to reduce the airway inflammation and bronchoconstriction seen in COPD.

Examining the predictors of academic outcomes for indigenous Māori, Pacific and rural students admitted into medicine via two equity pathways: a retrospective observational study at the University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Objective: To determine associations between admission markers of socioeconomic status, transitioning, bridging programme attendance and prior academic preparation on academic outcomes for indigenous Māori, Pacific and rural students admitted into medicine under access pathways designed to widen participation. Findings were compared with students admitted via the general (usual) admission pathway.

Design: Retrospective observational study using secondary data.

A cross-disciplinary assessment of student loans debt, financial support for study and career preferences upon graduation.

Aim: To explore relationships between student loans debt, financial support and career preferences upon graduation for all healthcare disciplines offered at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland.

Methods: The Faculty Tracking Project is a longitudinal study which invites students to complete a questionnaire at the beginning and end of their educational programmes, including questions on debt, financial support and career preference. Our analysis comprised three phases: (1) a descriptive analysis of data related to debt and financial support; (2) a principal component analysis in order to find related categories of career choice; and (3) logistic regression models to determine how career preference categories could be explained by either levels of student loans debt or financial support.

Rising levels of New Zealand medical student debt.

Aim: There is little recent data on the debt levels accrued by New Zealand medical graduates. We aimed to quantify the level of student loan debt accrued by medical graduates upon completion of their medical degree, and to investigate the association of New Zealand Government Student Loan (GSL) debt with gender and age.

Methods: At graduation each year from 2006-2015, students from one New Zealand medical programme were invited to complete a career intention survey that included information on levels of GSL debt and the number of income sources used.

Pneumococcal vaccines for preventing pneumonia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at increased risk of pneumococcal disease, especially pneumonia, as well as acute exacerbations with associated morbidity and healthcare costs.

Objectives: To determine the efficacy of injectable pneumococcal vaccination for preventing pneumonia in persons with COPD.

Search Methods: We searched the Cochrane Airways COPD Trials Register and the databases CENTRAL, MEDLINE and Embase, using prespecified terms.

Medical students: where have they come from; where are they going?

Aims: There remain shortages of doctors in rural areas. This study aimed to describe the location and size of New Zealand medical students' hometowns over the past decade; to document changes in intended practice location between entry and graduation; and to explore the relationship between background and intended location of practice.

Methods: All commencing and graduating students from one New Zealand medical programme from 2006-2015 were invited to complete a career intention survey.