World-wide rural residents do not have equal health status compared to
metropolitan populations or equitable access to quality health care. There is a complex,
inter-related and multi-factorial range of factors contributing to the existence of ruralmetropolitan
health differentials, of which access to an adequate health workforce is a
key factor. Recognition of the factors contributing to rural health status and the
adequacy of the rural health workforce has spurned a range of proposed strategies to
address the issues. A number of these strategies relate to the education of the future
health workforce. This chapter provides a contemporary discussion of developing a
rural health workforce and uses this as a lens to critically review the practice of
workplace learning as an educational strategy and focus on innovative methods of
workplace learning being developed at an Australian University. The aim of the inquiry
is to identify implications for the conduct of workplace learning in rural locations where
the intent is to address the issues of supply of a rural health workforce, access to quality
healthcare in rural locations and ultimately improve the health status of rural
communities.
Keywords: Rural health, health professional education, health workforce,
workplace learning, clinical placements, clinical placement, rural practice,
determinants of health.
