PMID- 29554908 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20180907 LR - 20181202 IS - 1472-6920 (Electronic) IS - 1472-6920 (Linking) VI - 18 IP - 1 DP - 2018 Mar 20 TI - Self-efficacy reduces the impact of social isolation on medical student's rural career intent. PG - 42 LID - 10.1186/s12909-018-1142-1 [doi] LID - 42 AB - BACKGROUND: Social isolation in medical students is a subjective experience that may influence medical career decision making. Rural self-efficacy has been shown to influence rural career intentions following a rural clinical placement, however its impact on social isolation during a rural clinical placement has not been previously modeled. The objective of this study is to explore whether self-perception of social isolation is associated with rural career intent in rural medical students. Secondly, to determine whether self-efficacy influences the association between social isolation and rural career intent. METHODS: 2015 data, from a cross-sectional survey of the National Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators (FRAME) study. Among 619 medical students attending rural clinical schools (RCS), rural career intent was assessed. This included intended rural location for either postgraduate medical specialist or generalist training or completion of that training. Self-efficacy beliefs in rural medical practice were based on a validated scale consisting of six questions. Social isolation was measured asking students whether they felt socially isolated during their RCS placement. RESULTS: 31.3% of surveyed students self-reported feeling socially isolated during their rural placement. Social isolation was associated with reduced rural career intent after controlling for gender, rural background, RCS preference, RCS support and wellbeing. In step-wise logistic regression the association between social isolation and rural intent disappeared with the inclusion of rural self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Social isolation during a rural clinical placement is commonly reported and is shown to reduce rural career intent. High levels of rural clinical self-efficacy reduce the effects of social isolation on future rural workforce intentions. FAU - Isaac, Vivian AU - Isaac V AD - Flinders Rural Health South Australia, Flinders University, PO Box 852, Renmark, South Australia, 5341, Australia. FAU - Pit, Sabrina Winona AU - Pit SW AD - University Centre for Rural Health, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, 62 Uralba Street, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia. Sabrinapit@gmail.com. AD - School of Public Health, Sydney University, 62 Uralba Street, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia. Sabrinapit@gmail.com. FAU - McLachlan, Craig S AU - McLachlan CS AD - Rural Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Level 3 Samuels Building, Sydney, Australia. LA - eng PT - Journal Article DEP - 20180320 PL - England TA - BMC Med Educ JT - BMC medical education JID - 101088679 SB - IM MH - Attitude of Health Personnel MH - Australia MH - Career Choice MH - Cross-Sectional Studies MH - Female MH - Humans MH - Intention MH - Male MH - Professional Practice Location MH - *Rural Health Services MH - Self Concept MH - *Self Efficacy MH - Social Isolation/*psychology MH - Students, Medical/*psychology/statistics & numerical data MH - Surveys and Questionnaires PMC - PMC5859449 OTO - NOTNLM OT - Career intention OT - Medical student OT - Rural medical education OT - Self-efficacy OT - Social cognitions OT - Social isolation COIS- ETHICS APPROVAL AND CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE: FRAME has received ethics approval from the Social and Behavioural Research Ethics Committee (SBREC) at Flinders University. Participation was completely voluntary, and they were able to withdraw at any stage. Consent was implicit in them completing the questionnaire. CONSENT FOR PUBLICATION: Not applicable COMPETING INTERESTS: VI, SWP and CSM have leadership responsibilities for a medical student education program in a rural clinical school. Rural Clinical School students partake in the FRAME exit survey. PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. EDAT- 2018/03/21 06:00 MHDA- 2018/09/08 06:00 PMCR- 2018/03/20 CRDT- 2018/03/21 06:00 PHST- 2017/10/25 00:00 [received] PHST- 2018/03/07 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2018/03/21 06:00 [entrez] PHST- 2018/03/21 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2018/09/08 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2018/03/20 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - 10.1186/s12909-018-1142-1 [pii] AID - 1142 [pii] AID - 10.1186/s12909-018-1142-1 [doi] PST - epublish SO - BMC Med Educ. 2018 Mar 20;18(1):42. doi: 10.1186/s12909-018-1142-1.