Health Careers Education for Rural Primary Schoolchildren

Abstract

International and national studies have reported that health professionals who grew up in a rural area are more likely to return to work in a rural area than their urban raised counterparts. The chronic severe shortage of health professionals in rural and remote Australia has meant inequitable health care for rural and remote communities and a shortage of health professional role models for rural children. Career development theories and related research indicate that children start to develop ideas about careers from early childhood but, before they can aspire to a career, they must have knowledge of that career. This article explores the knowledge that primary school students who live in rural and remote areas and study by distance education have of the health professions. This article draws from part of a project that uses qualitative interviews and elements of action research to understand career opportunities for rural and remote students in the health professions and to contribute to building sustainable solutions to the shortage of health professionals in these areas.