Exploring recent trends (2014-21) in preferencing and accepting Queensland medical internships in rural hospitals.

Background: Medical internship is a key transition point in medical training from student to independent (junior) doctor. The national Regional Training Hubs (RTH) policy began across Australia in late 2017, which aims to build medical training pathways for junior doctors within a rural region and guide students, interns and trainees towards these. This study aims to explore preferencing and acceptance trends for rural medical internship positions in Queensland.

Telehealth program for symptomatic COVID-19 patients in Mindanao, Philippines: a whole-of-system, pragmatic interventional study on patient monitoring from isolation facilities to community reintegration.

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting individuals and society's physical and mental health. Despite the lack of any definite and effective therapeutic regimen, public health measures such as quarantine and isolation have been instituted to contain this pandemic. However, these mitigating measures have also raised issues regarding isolated patients' mental and psychological well-being.

Using competition for plasma donor recruitment and retention: An Australian university case study.

Background And Objectives: Using evidence from one Australian university's participation in the Vampire Cup (an 8-week national inter-university blood donation competition), this study aimed to (1) understand important motivators and successful promotional strategies driving engagement in the competition, and (2) determine the impact of competition on the recruitment and retention of young adult plasma donors.

Materials And Methods: We used a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design involving a self-administered survey (Study 1, n = 64) and four focus groups (Study 2, n = 20) with plasma donors aged 18-29 years who participated in the 2021 Vampire Cup. Also, we used a 12-month prospective comparative cohort analysis (Study 3) of those who did (n = 224 'competition donors') and did not (n = 448 control group) present to donate for the Vampire Cup.

A return-on-investment analysis of impacts on James Cook University medical students and rural workforce resulting from participation in extended rural placements.

Introduction: Although all James Cook University (JCU) medical students complete multiple rural placements, some undertake extended 5-10 month rural placements in their final year. This study uses return-on-investment (ROI) methodology to quantify student and rural medical workforce benefits of these 'extended placements' from 2012 to 2018.

Methods: Forty-six medical graduates were sent a survey exploring the benefits to students and to the rural workforce from participation in extended placements, as well as estimated costs to students, deadweight (how much change would have occurred without participating), and attribution (how much change was due to other experiences).

Mid-career graduate practice outcomes of the James Cook University medical school: key insights from the first 20 years.

Introduction: Previous studies demonstrate early-career James Cook University (JCU) medical graduates are more likely to practise in regional, rural and remote areas than other Australian doctors. This study investigates whether these practice patterns continue into mid-career, identifying key demographic, selection, curriculum and postgraduate training factors associated with rural practice.

Methods: The medical school's graduate tracking database identified 2019 Australian practice location data for 931 graduates across postgraduate years (PGY) 5-14, which were categorised into Modified Monash Model (MMM) rurality classifications.

Mid-career graduate practice outcomes of the James Cook University medical school: key insights from the first 20 years.

Introduction: Previous studies have demonstrated early-career James Cook University (JCU) medical graduates are more likely to practise in regional, rural and remote areas than other Australian medical practitioners. This study investigates whether these non-metropolitan practice location outcomes continue into mid-career, and identifies the key underlying demographic, selection process, curriculum and postgraduate training factors associated with JCU graduates choosing to currently practise in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia.

Methods: This study used the JCU medical school's graduate tracking database to identify 2019 Australian practice location data for 931 JCU medical graduates across postgraduate years (PGY) 5-14.

A return-on-investment analysis of impacts on James Cook University medical students and rural workforce resulting from participation in extended rural placements.

Introduction: Although all medical students at James Cook University (JCU), Queensland, Australia, undertake rural placements throughout their course, a proportion (currently about 20 per year out of 170-190 final-year students) undertake extended rural placements in rural and remote towns - 5-month Integrated Rural Placement (IRP) or 10-month Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) programs. This study uses a return-on-investment (ROI) approach to quantify student and rural medical workforce benefits arising from these 'extended placements' between 2012 and 2018.

Methods: Seventy-two JCU MBBS graduates participated in extended rural placements between 2012 and 2018.

"Learning by Doing": a Mixed-Methods Study to Identify Why Body Painting Can Be a Powerful Approach for Teaching Surface Anatomy to Health Science Students.

Introduction: Teaching human anatomy to produce deeper understandings and knowledge retention in learners requires meaningful, engaging, and practical activities. Previous studies identify that most students who participated in body painting (BP) reported improved understanding of surface anatomy (SA). This study investigates the key factors underpinning BP helps students learn SA.

A Curriculum for Achieving Universal Health Care: A Case Study of Ateneo de Zamboanga University School of Medicine.

Universal Health Care requires equal distribution of a health workforce equipped with competencies appropriate for local population needs. While health inequities persist in the Philippines, the Ateneo de Zamboanga University School of Medicine (ADZU-SOM) in Zamboanga Peninsula - an impoverished and underserved region - has demonstrated significant success retaining graduates and improving local health statistics. This study describes the qualitative evidence of ADZU-SOM students and graduates having positive impacts on local health services and communities, and the contextual factors associated with the school's socially-accountable mission and curriculum that contribute to these impacts.

Smoking cessation in head and neck cancer patients: Factors influencing successes and failures.

Introduction: This study investigated the smoking behaviours and cessation rates of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients, and their barriers and facilitators to cessation.

Method: The study used a mixed methods, sequential explanatory design. The quantitative data were collected at baseline (around time of cancer diagnosis) via a survey prior to commencement of treatment.

Factors impacting the solo remote placement experiences of undergraduate James Cook University medical students: A mixed-methods pilot study.

Objective: To determine the factors impacting the experiences of James Cook University medical students on solo placements in remote towns.

Design: This 2018 pilot study used an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach to explore the recent solo remote placement experiences of James Cook University medical students. Qualitative interviews were performed initially to elicit context sensitive themes for the self administered survey.

Training a Fit-For-Purpose Rural Health Workforce for Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs): How Do Drivers and Enablers of Rural Practice Intention Differ Between Learners From LMICs and High Income Countries?

Equity in health outcomes for rural and remote populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited by a range of socio-economic, cultural and environmental determinants of health. Health professional education that is sensitive to local population needs and that attends to all elements of the rural pathway is vital to increase the proportion of the health workforce that practices in underserved rural and remote areas. The Training for Health Equity Network (THEnet) is a community-of-practice of 13 health professional education institutions with a focus on delivering socially accountable education to produce a fit-for-purpose health workforce.

"We learnt it, then we lived it": Influencing medical students' intentions toward rural practice and generalist careers via a socially-accountable curriculum.

Objective: The James Cook University (JCU) medical school has a mission to produce graduates committed to practising with underserved populations. This study explores the views of final-year students regarding the influence of the JCU medical curriculum on their self-reported commitment to socially-accountable practice, intentions for rural practice, and desired postgraduate training pathway.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey of final year JCU medical students ( = 113; response rate = 65%) to determine whether their future career directions (intentions for future practice rurality and postgraduate specialty training pathway) are driven more by altruism (commitment to socially accountable practice/community service) or by financial reward and/or prestige.

Workforce supply of pharmacists in Queensland communities from James Cook University Pharmacy Graduates.

Objective: This study investigates whether the regional pharmacy school at James Cook University in North Queensland is providing graduates geared to address the pharmaceutical needs of the state's regional, rural and remote communities.

Design: A cross-sectional study of practice locations of James Cook University pharmacy graduates in 2019 compared to those from other Australian pharmacy schools.

Participants: Pharmacists from the James Cook University pharmacy program and those from other Australian pharmacy schools working in Queensland.

Retaining graduates of non-metropolitan medical schools for practice in the local area: the importance of locally based postgraduate training pathways in Australia and Canada.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to identify commonalities between one regionally based medical school in Australia and one in Canada regarding the association between postgraduate training location and a doctor's practice location once fully qualified in a medical specialty.

Methods: Data were obtained using a cross-sectional survey of graduates of the James Cook University (JCU) medical school, Queensland, Australia, who had completed advanced training to become a specialist (a 'Fellow') in that field (response rate = 60%, 197 of 326). Medical education, postgraduate training and practice data were obtained for 400 of 409 (98%) fully licensed doctors who completed undergraduate medical education or postgraduate training or both at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), Ontario, Canada.

Opinions of vascular surgeons and podiatrists in Australia and New Zealand on the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for lower limb ulcers.

Introduction: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been suggested to improve healing of lower limb ulcers, though the quality of available evidence is weak to moderate. This study assessed the opinions and use of HBOT by specialists treating lower limb ulcers.

Research Design And Methods: Accredited vascular surgeons and podiatrists in Australia and New Zealand were sent an online survey via their professional organizations.

Women's epidural decision-making in labour: A Townsville perspective.

Background: Despite being an efficacious means of pain relief, there is a broad range of usage rates of epidural analgesia among countries worldwide. Australia sits between common usage in North America and more conservative usage in the UK. The reason for this is unclear, raising the question of whether there is a difference between Australia and other Western countries in pregnant women's attitudes toward epidural use, or the hospital context.

Links between perceived general practitioner support and the wellbeing of Australian patients with persistent pain.

Background And Objectives: Approximately one-fifth of the population have persistent pain of moderate-to-severe intensity, which affects patients physically, mentally, psychosocially and financially. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between self‑reported wellbeing of patients with persistent pain attending a pain clinic and perceptions of care from general practitioners (GPs) and other treating health professionals.

Method: Patients with persistent pain completed a self-administered survey.

Perceived patient benefits from using prescription opioids and other therapies to manage persistent pain.

Objective: There is current controversy surrounding the long-term prescription of opioids to persistent pain (PP) pa-tients due to potential dangers of addiction and overdose. This study is the first to explore the perspectives of PP pa-tients attending a multidisciplinary pain clinic on the benefits associated with using opioids and other self-medication strategies for pain relief.

Design, Patients, And Setting: Cross-sectional study utilizing a self-administered survey of patients attending an Austra-lian General Practice pain clinic for treatment of PP for at least 1 year (n = 93; response rate = 89 percent).

Factors Influencing Medical Students' Experiences and Satisfaction with Blended Integrated E-Learning.

Objectives: Blended learning has been presented as a promising learner-centred model that emphasises the learning outcome rather than the process of education, but it can negatively affect learners' engagement with learning.

Subject And Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach, this study aimed to determine the significant predictors of learning satisfaction and to evaluate the experiences of medical students with the different domains of an introduced blended integrated learning approach.

Results: The survey was administered to 92 respondents with a mean age of 20.

Does a socially-accountable curriculum transform health professional students into competent, work-ready graduates? A cross-sectional study of three medical schools across three countries.

Socially-accountable health professional education (SAHPE) is committed to achieving health equity through training health-workers to meet local health needs and serve disadvantaged populations. This research assesses the biomedical and socially-accountable competencies and work-readiness of first year graduates from socially-accountable medical schools in Australia, the United States and Sudan. A self-administered survey to hospital and community health facility staff closely associated with the training and/or supervision of first year medical graduates from three SAHPE medical schools.

Benefits of simulated General Practice clinics in the preparation of medical students for primary healthcare.

The James Cook University (JCU) medical school has a mission to produce doctors who are willing to work across northern Australia and may choose generalist rather than specialist careers. In addition to real-life placements in primary healthcare settings, the medical school has developed simulated General Practice (GP) clinics (simGPclinic) for Year 5 (Y5) students. This study compares the simGPclinic with actual GP placements for authenticity, teaching clinical skills, and preparation for real-life primary healthcare settings.

Intended rural career modalities of final-year James Cook University medical students.

Objective: Geographic mal-distribution towards urban over rural medical practice exists worldwide. The James Cook University medical school has focused its selection and curriculum on selecting and training students to address medical workforce needs for local regional, rural and remote areas. This study investigates final-year James Cook University medical students' intended rural practice modality and association with rurality of upbringing.