Medical Radiation Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
Department of Rural Health, University of Newcastle, Taree, New South Wales, Australia.
J Med Radiat Sci. 2022 Jun;69(2):182-190. doi: 10.1002/jmrs.559. Epub 2021 Nov 21.
While studies have investigated influences on graduate practice locations of other health professionals, especially medicine, none have investigated practice locations of medical radiation science (MRS) graduates. This study aimed to explore factors influencing the registered principal place of practice (PPP) of diagnostic radiography, radiation therapy and nuclear medicine graduates from the University of Newcastle (UON), Australia, in their second post-graduate year.
Data were extracted from the UON enrolment and clinical placement databases and linked to Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (Ahpra) registration data for PPP location in 2019 for 187 graduates who completed their studies in 2017. Explanatory variables included age at enrolment, gender, MRS discipline, location of origin, socio-economic index for location of origin, and locations and duration of undergraduate professional placements. Descriptive statistics, tests of association and logistic regression compared rural and non-rural origin, and professional placement locations with Ahpra PPP.
Factors related to non-metropolitan PPP were location of origin (P = 0.002), number (P = 0.002) and duration (P = 0.007) of rural placements, and MRS discipline (P = 0.033). Controlling for other variables, location of origin and MRS discipline remained significant. Graduates of rural origin had up to 3.54 (95%CI = 1.51-8.28) times the odds of a rural PPP. Diagnostic radiography graduates had up to 5.46 (95%CI = 1.55-19.20) times the odds of nuclear medicine of a rural PPP.
To help reduce the gap between rural and metropolitan medical radiation service availability, there is a need for targeted recruitment of rural origin students. Further investigation of the effect of rural undergraduate MRS placements is justified.
虽然已有研究调查了其他卫生专业人员（尤其是医学专业人员）的研究生实践地点的影响因素，但尚无研究调查医疗辐射科学（MRS）毕业生的实践地点。本研究旨在探讨影响澳大利亚纽卡斯尔大学（UON）放射诊断学、放射治疗和核医学毕业生在其研究生第二年注册主要执业地点（PPP）的因素。
从 UON 的入学和临床实习数据库中提取数据，并将其与澳大利亚卫生从业者监管局（Ahpra）的注册数据相关联，以获取 2019 年 187 名于 2017 年完成学业的毕业生的 PPP 位置。解释变量包括入学时的年龄、性别、MRS 学科、原籍地位置、原籍地社会经济指数，以及本科专业实习的位置和时间。使用描述性统计、关联检验和逻辑回归比较了农村和非农村原籍地，以及专业实习地点与 Ahpra PPP。
与非大都市 PPP 相关的因素包括原籍地位置（P=0.002）、农村实习地点数量（P=0.002）和持续时间（P=0.007）以及 MRS 学科（P=0.033）。在控制其他变量的情况下，原籍地位置和 MRS 学科仍然具有统计学意义。农村原籍地的毕业生在农村 PPP 的可能性是城市原籍地的毕业生的 3.54 倍（95%CI=1.51-8.28）。放射诊断学毕业生在农村 PPP 的可能性是核医学毕业生的 5.46 倍（95%CI=1.55-19.20）。
为了帮助缩小农村和大都市医疗辐射服务可用性之间的差距，需要有针对性地招募农村出身的学生。有必要进一步调查农村本科 MRS 实习的效果。
