Table 3.
Students’ rural practice intention before and after placement by background
| Background | Likert response | Rural practice intention, n (%)a | p-Value* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beforeb | Afterc | |||
| Urban (n=127) | Strongly Agree (5) | 8 (6.3) | 28 (22.0) | <0.001 |
| Agree (4) | 44 (34.6) | 61 (48.0) | ||
| Neutral (3) | 29 (22.8) | 27 (21.3) | ||
| Disagree (2) | 37 (29.1) | 8 (6.3) | ||
| Strongly Disagree (1) | 9 (7.1) | 3 (2.4) | ||
| Mean score (SD) | 3.04 (1.087) | 3.81 (0.932) | ||
| Rural (n=144) | Strongly Agree (5) | 55 (38.2) | 52 (36.1) | 0.063 |
| Agree (4) | 53 (36.8) | 62 (43.1) | ||
| Neutral (3) | 24 (16.7) | 28 (19.4) | ||
| Disagree (2) | 9 (6.3) | 2 (1.4) | ||
| Strongly Disagree (1) | 3 (2.1) | 0 (0) | ||
| Mean score | 4.03 (0.996) | 4.14 (0.772) | ||
Notes: aPercentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding. bBefore: “Prior to this placement I was considering living and working in a regional, rural, or remote location following graduation.” cAfter: “This placement has made me reconsider my future and I am now considering living and working in a regional, rural, or remote location following my graduation.” *Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test.