Building a medical workforce in Tasmania: A profile of medical student intake
2019
Objective: To identify under-represented groups in a
medical school intake. Design: Descriptive analysis of student demographic
characteristics. Setting: One state-wide medical school. Participants: All students enrolled between 2010 and
2016. Main outcome measure(s): Proportion of students
from regional and rural areas, state versus independent
schools, highest parental qualification, Aboriginal or
Torres Strait Islander students. Results: Of 819 students, 472 (57.6%) were from Tasmania, five (1.1%) identified as Aboriginal or Torres
Strait Islanders, 335 (71.0%) completed their secondary
education at independent schools and 137 (29.0%) at
government schools. The overall median Modified Monash Model was 2 (range 1–6) and median Australia Statistical Geography Standard Remoteness Area was 2
(inner regional: range 1–4), reflecting that a majority
came from one of the two main cities. Over two-thirds
(69.5%) had a parent with a Bachelor degree or higher
qualification, regardless of the school attended. Just
under half (225, 47.7%) of all Tasmanian students
attended a secondary school with a parental contribution
of ≥$5000 per annum. These students attended a small
number of independent schools, with the proportion relatively stable over the period from 2010 to 2016. Conclusion: Widening participation and widening
access initiatives to graduate doctors who understand
and want to work in communities in need might not
be working as well in Tasmania as elsewhere in Australia. Social accountability might be improved by
adapting a rural classification that reflects the demographic profile of Tasmania.
Keywords:
- Correction
- Source
- Cite
- Save
- Machine Reading By IdeaReader
15
References
3
Citations
NaN
KQI