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Table 2 Key subthemes that emerged from rural undergraduate medical students (n = 62) regarding their perceptions of rural internships contrasted with urban internships

From: Medical students on long-term rural clinical placements and their perceptions of urban and rural internships: a qualitative study

 

Rural

Urban

The internship role

▪ Practical ‘hands on’ role

▪ High level of responsibility

▪ Smaller team

▪ Visibility, cannot hide and acknowledgement

▪ Work-life balance encouraged

▪ Positive culture

▪ Secretarial role; less ‘hands on’

▪ Low level of responsibility

▪ Larger team

▪ Do not stand out

The internship training

▪ Generalised training experience; less variety in presentations

▪ Viable for those interested in general practice or rural generalist careers

▪ Limited training spots

▪ Uncertainty and limited understanding of training options for specialties

▪ Rural clinicians go out of their way to assist in creating rural pathways

▪ Specialised training experience; more variety in presentations

▪ Viable for those interested in all specialties

▪ Research exposure

▪ More training positions

▪ Networking required and easier to get on training programs

Interns’ colleagues

▪ Closer relationship with seniors

▪ Seniors more approachable/available

▪ Fewer colleagues to debrief with

▪ Less of a relationship with seniors

▪ Seniors less approachable/available

▪ Team support

The community

▪ Community connection

▪ Closer relationship with patients

▪ Less of a relationship with patients

Interns’

personal life

▪ Social isolation

▪ Proximity to family & friends