Treffer: Stepping into Country: How a Short Rural Immersion Transforms Medical Students' Perspectives.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of a short-term Rural Immersion Week on medical students' intentions to pursue rural practice and their transformative experiences. A mixed-methods study was implemented, combining pre- and post-surveys with quantitative and qualitative analysis. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and paired ttests, and qualitative responses were explored through thematic analysis guided by Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory. The study was conducted at Curtin Medical School, with the immersion program held in rural areas of Western Australia. A total of 113 second-year medical students participated, with 101 completing both pre- and post-surveys included in the analysis. Quantitative analysis showed a significant increase in intentions to work rurally (pre M = 3.77, SD = 0.90; post M = 4.16, SD = 0.90; t(100) = -5.61, p < .001) and apply to Rural Clinical School (pre M = 3.80, SD = 1.01; post M = 4.21, SD = 1.05; t(100) = -4.93, p < .001). Qualitative findings revealed transformative learning, including enhanced cultural awareness, empathy, and understanding of social determinants of health. The Rural Immersion Week significantly influenced students' intentions to pursue rural practice and fostered transformative personal and professional growth. Short-term rural immersion programs are a promising strategy to inspire interest in rural healthcare careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Australian & International Journal of Rural Education is the property of Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)