Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39789510›Full record

ReviewBMC medical education2025

Applying principles of adult learning to rural health electives in a medical school curriculum.

Lachlan Van Schaik, Tamekha Develyn, Kait Kelly, Anousha Yazdabadi, Cate Scarff, William Harvey, Julian Wright

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in BMC medical education, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Lachlan Van SchaikDepartment of Rural Health, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, 49 Graham Street, Shepparton, VIC, 3630, Australia. lachlan.vanschaik@unimelb.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9589-661X
Tamekha DevelynDepartment of Rural Health, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, 49 Graham Street, Shepparton, VIC, 3630, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-2562-9478
Kait KellyDepartment of Rural Health, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, 49 Graham Street, Shepparton, VIC, 3630, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9034-4338
Anousha YazdabadiDepartment of Rural Health, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
Cate ScarffDepartment of Rural Health, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
William HarveyDepartment of Rural Health, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, 49 Graham Street, Shepparton, VIC, 3630, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6452-6325
Julian WrightDepartment of Rural Health, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, 49 Graham Street, Shepparton, VIC, 3630, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1447-021X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The health disparities between rural and urban populations in Australia, driven by socioeconomic, environmental, and healthcare access factors, highlight the urgent need for rural-focused medical education. The Melbourne Medical School's Rural Health Discovery program addresses this need by integrating adult learning principles within a redesigned curriculum that includes the Rural Health Foundations and Integrating Rural Health topics. These Discovery topics engage medical students from diverse backgrounds through a blend of self-directed learning, problem-solving, and immersive clinical placements in rural settings. By aligning with andragogical principles-such as fostering autonomy, practical relevance, and experiential learning-the program prepares students for the unique demands of rural healthcare practice. Students are introduced to the complexities of rural health, including the social determinants affecting rural communities, through asynchronous modules, case studies, and team-based learning. This innovative curriculum, which is flexible and inclusive of rural and metropolitan students, represents a strategic model for promoting rural healthcare careers, addressing workforce shortages, and ensuring equitable health outcomes for underserved communities.

Indexed as

CurriculumEducation, Medical, UndergraduateProblem-Based LearningRural HealthAdultAustraliaHumansRural Health ServicesSchools, MedicalStudents, Medical

Identifiers

PMID39789510
PMCPMC11720504

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.