1. G’Day! Francine Riley Student Initiatives Senior Project Officer
Health Careers in the Bush program:
Encouraging rural and remote students towards health careers.
22nd June 2010

2. Today… Why am I here? Where is Brisbane, Australia?
What is Health Workforce Queensland?
What is Health Careers in the Bush?

3. Why am I here?
To contribute to the sharing of information, ideas and tips between like minded organisations around the world
To learn from your programs and your successes
To raise awareness of our efforts in Queensland, Australia
To see the sights! (My first visit to America)

4. Where is Brisbane, Australia? Capital City is Canberra

5. Where is Brisbane, Australia?
From Desert to Snow and everything in between…
BRISBANE

6. Where is Brisbane, Australia?

8. Where is Brisbane, Australia?

9. Close to home…

10. Close to home…

11. Health Workforce Queensland
We are primarily funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing to Support Primary Health Care in rural and remote communities in Queensland

12. Health Workforce Queensland
Funded to provide services to rural and remote areas only

13. Our Teams and ‘The Pipeline’
Student Initiatives Team:
Health Careers in the Bush
Student Initiatives Team: Universities and Rural Health Clubs
ATTRACTION
High School & University
RECRUITMENT
Domestic and International
RETENTION
General Practitioners
Recruitment Team:
Private GP Recruitment & Migration service
Quality Use of Medicines Team:
Drug treatment guidance to GP’s
Data & Research Team:
Policy Development
Medical Education and Training Team: GP Professional Development
QRMFN:
GP Family Support
GP Locum support

14. Our Teams and ‘The Pipeline’
Student Initiatives Team:
Health Careers in the Bush
Student Initiatives Team: Universities and Rural Health Clubs
ATTRACTION
High School & University
RECRUITMENT
Domestic and International
RETENTION
General Practitioners
Recruitment Team:
Private GP Recruitment & Migration service
Quality Use of Medicines Team:
Drug treatment guidance to GP’s
Data & Research Team:
Policy Development
Medical Education and Training Team: GP Professional Development
QRMFN:
GP Family Support
GP Locum support

15. RECRUITMENT & RETENTION
Recruitment team
RECRUITMENT & RETENTION
End-to-end recruitment service for private rural and remote General Practice and Aboriginal Medical Services
Migration service
Locum service

16. RECRUITMENT & RETENTION
Recruitment team
RECRUITMENT & RETENTION
1169 GP’s employed in rural and remote QLD at 30/11/09 (increase of 39 from 30/11/08)
579 (49.6%) of them obtained basic medical qualification overseas
UK (90), India (89), South Africa (78), United State of America (1)

17. RECRUITMENT & RETENTION
Recruitment team
RECRUITMENT & RETENTION
Increase of GP recruits for rural practice
19 recruits Jul04 – Jun05
44 recruits Jul 08 – Jun09
100% of recruits received orientation
2. An average of 75 locum placements coordinated each year since 2005

18. Medical Education & Training team
RETENTION
Providing access to quality education and training for GP’s in Queensland
Procedural and Non-Procedural Workshops
E.g. Rural Emergency Medicine, Emergency Paediatrics, Women’s Health and Skin Cancer
3. All workshops are accredited by our GP training colleges for Continuing Professional Development points

19. Medical Education & Training team
RETENTION
2007: 253 delegates over 13 workshops
2008: 442 delegates over 28 workshops
2009: 400 delegates over 27 workshops
92% of delegates in 2009 agreed or strongly agreed that workshop attendance helped alleviate professional isolation
96% of delegates agreed or strongly agreed that they gained confidence in practicing rurally

20. Queensland Rural Medical Family Network
RETENTION
Providing support to spouses and families of our
rural doctors
Orientation Kit for new rural families
Newsletter and network of volunteers for peer
support
Small grants available to facilitate networking
events in their community

21. Quality Use of Medicines team
RETENTION
Providing unbiased, evidence-based advice on drug treatment and other initiatives to rural GP’s
350 rural GP’s participated in education visits Jul08-Jun09
Topics include Treating the symptoms of Dementia and Early use of Insulin and oral antidiabetic drugs

22. Data Research and Evaluation team
RETENTION
Maintaining a comprehensive information system in relation to the rural and remote medical workforce
Workforce modelling, monitoring and analysis of trends and issues
Reliable, accurate and timely data to influence policy for the rural medical workforce

23. My team: Student Initiatives
ATTRACTION
Three main ‘hats’
University Rural Health Club support
Other University support
Health Careers in the Bush Program

24. My team: Student Initiatives 1. University Rural Health Club support
Supporting these clubs to provide positive rural health experiences to their members
Contracted as TROHPIQ’s administrators
Provide governance and business advice
Provide conference sponsorship
Provide access to our Education Workshops
Clubs are primarily funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing

28. My team: Student Initiatives 2. Other University support
Advocacy for the clubs to the Deans and Vice Chancellors of their Universities
Annual General Practice ‘Dinner of Excellence’
Sponsorship of JCU Graduation

29. My team: Student Initiatives 3. Health Careers in the Bush Program
Member of the Health Careers in the Bush Alliance
Health Career Workshops (Camps) since 1994
Rural High School Visits since 2004
Website and resources
Evaluations and tracking

30. Health Careers in the Bush Health Career Workshops (Camps)
Junior, Senior & Indigenous (4 per year)
4 days (live in)
University, Hospital and health facility tours and lectures
Funded and coordinated by Queensland Health 30

33. Health Careers in the Bush Health Career Workshops
Testimonials
“Thank you for letting me come and learn a whole new world for me. Thank you”
“I really enjoyed this, it has helped a lot with my future career choices, I would recommend this workshop to others”
“Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this workshop, it has been a great help to learn and discover about different health professions…”
“It has changed my views on everything. The opportunities you have provided me with are excellent.” 33

34. 4 Workshops per year on average
Where do they come from?
1300 students between
4 Workshops per year on average

35. Health Careers in the Bush Rural High School Visits
3 – 4 day road trips around Queensland
Facilitated by the Rural Health Club members (University students who have ‘been there, done that’)
Training, logistical coordination, printed booklets and equipment provided by Health Workforce Queensland
Funded by Health Workforce Queensland and the Rural Health Clubs 35

36. 36

39. Health Careers in the Bush Rural High School Visits
Testimonials
“How they told us what it was like at uni, I feel now like I'm more motivated for my future career” “Hearing experiences from present students and how they are enjoying their courses” “They knew what they were talking about and could answer any questions. Hands on activities were cool”
“The presentation really made me think about working in the health careers” 39

40. Where do we go? 5-8 schools per trip 5-40 students per school
= around 1000 students per year
Increased the number of schools visited from 17 to 39 per year since 2006

41. Health Careers in the Bush
Why do we do it?
Break down the perceived barriers of entering a health career
Illustrate the wide variety of exciting health professions
Explain that it’s not all about getting the top mark at school (although completing Year 12 is an advantage)
That university students from rural areas have been there and done that (and are loving it) so you can too! 41

42. Health Careers in the Bush Evaluations - Workshops
In 2004 there was a Research Evaluation Project conducted for all workshop participants between 1994 and 2002
Out of 70 students interviewed 63 were either employed in the health industry or studying to do so
The top three factors contributing to their career choice were:
Self interest (62 rated as very high or high)
Attendance at HCW (34)
OP Score (27) 42

43. Health Careers in the Bush Evaluations – Rural School Visits
Three forms of feedback
Student satisfaction
Teacher satisfaction
Facilitator satisfaction
A formal research project on the influence of RHSV for high school students is difficult. But anecdotally…it helps!
RHSV is not only beneficial to the school students but to the facilitators as well. Could a rural town they visit be their future workplace one day? 43

44. Health Careers in the Bush44

45. Health Careers in the Bush Evaluations – Rural School Visits
Currently considering ways to improve our ‘tracking’ of high school students
E.g. Membership forms of the Rural Health Clubs
Ad hoc data collection through chatting to students, hearing from doctors and asking HCW and RHSV mentors
Limited $ for research
Closer relationship with universities and input into their selection processes is required 45

46. Health Careers in the Bush
Resources
Profiles on over 26 health professions
Includes up to date OP scores and pre-requisites
Careers in TAFE
Scholarships and Grants database
3 videos produced
CD-Rom, printed booklet and pens! 46

47. Thank You!
Ph: