Rural Geographic Background

Rural background, measured by attending a rural secondary school, more than doubled the odds of becoming a rural doctor in the multivariate model (OR 2.13). Less than half of rural doctors (45%) reported rural origin, meaning urban-origin students comprised more than half of the early-career rural medical workforce. Regional background did not significantly improve rural workforce outcomes, and the study argues that rural and regional categories should not be merged in workforce policy. Rural secondary school students face barriers to university entrance achievement, and rural areas are associated with higher socioeconomic deprivation, leaving rural and socioeconomically deprived students under-represented in medical cohorts.