Rural and metropolitan applicants' experiences of the admissions process for a provisional entry regional medical training pathway.

Abstract

Objective: To explore the experiences and perceptions of rural and metropolitan applicants preparing for and completing all admission components for a provisional entry regional medical pathway.

Setting: Provisional entry regional medical pathway.

Participants: Provisional entry (school-leaver) applicants (N = 18) who completed a Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI).

Design: Applicants were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview regarding their experiences of the admissions process relative to their background (rural/metropolitan origin). A constructivist approach with a social accountability lens was taken for these semi-structured interviews.

Results: Themes were related to whether the applicants were classified as rural or metropolitan origin and the impact of the applicant's geographical location and connections to the local community, differences in local school and social support, and challenges in allocating medical school preferences.

Conclusion: Overall, applicant perceptions and experiences of the admissions process were influenced both positively and negatively by whether they were of rural or metropolitan origin. Strategies are required to ensure applicants with genuine rural interest, whether they are of rural or metropolitan origin, have access to sufficient support and resources while applying to regional medical pathways to ensure they are not disadvantaged, thus meeting admissions goals of the program.