Table 1 Major themes and sub-themes and representative statements
From: What do beginning students, in a rurally focused medical course, think about rural practice?
Major themes | N (%) of responses | Sub-themes | N (%) of responses | Representative statements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rural lifestyle: positive statements | 15 (2.4%) | 15 (2.4%) | “…more relaxed country atmosphere allows many doctors to greatly enjoy their down time.” | |
Rural lifestyle: negative statements | 25 (4%) | 25 (4%) | “Rural doctors coming from larger cities will have to sacrifice the lifestyle they are used too, including technological advantages and reliance on co-workers and partners.” | |
Doctor role: positive statements | 78 (12.4%) | |||
Positive impact on the community | 22 (28.2%) | “Doctors have a chance to make a remarkable impact on a community and drastically improve it.” | ||
Educator and communicator | 15 (19.2%) | “The rural doctor must act as a form of communication, an advocate, educating these remote communities about good health and techniques needed to be done in order to be healthy and to minimize chances of illness.” | ||
Positive views of rural doctor | 41 (52.6%) | “Rural doctors are not just another member of their community, they are the cornerstone.” | ||
Doctor role: negative statements | 56 (8.9%) | |||
Doctor’s health | 20 (35.7%) | “Long hours, a variety of abnormal cases and needs of particular communities can have a detrimental toll on rural doctor’s health.” | ||
Pressure on doctor | 20 (35.7%) | “In some towns there may only be one doctor and this may place pressure on the doctor…” | ||
Family problems | 16 (28.6%) | “This can make it hard to separate work and life for rural doctors and may cause strain on family life.” | ||
Rural practice: positive | 206 (32.7%) | |||
Broader work/skills/knowledge | 95 (46.1%) | “…practitioners most likely will come across various symptoms and illness that are less frequently seen in more modernized cities, perhaps due to the alternative environment and culture rural areas offer.” | ||
Better relationships with patients/community/co-workers | 111 (53.9%) | “…opportunity to see patients from the beginning to the end of their treatments, forming bonds with the community members and gaining respect and satisfaction.” | ||
Rural practice: negative | 249 (39.6%) | |||
Greater workload | 50 (20.1%) | “…work load for rural doctors is greater, as not only do they have patients to visit but their work does not end once they leave the hospital.” | ||
Privacy/confidentiality issues | 39 (15.7%) | “…patients will know where the doctor lives and even visit the doctor’s house if they have a medical problem.” | ||
Cultural issues | 18 (7.2%) | “The cultural differences can create difficulties in the doctor’s ability to treat a given patient.” | ||
Isolation | 64 (25.7%) | “One of the biggest challenges a rural doctor faces is often the extreme isolation or remoteness of the community they are in…” | ||
Limited resources | 77 (30.9%) | “A rural doctor will have limited access to health resources when compared to their urban counterparts.” | ||
Financial | 1 (0.4%) | “…rural doctors may have less opportunity to make larger salaries.” |