The socioeconomic impact of rural-origin graduates working as healthcare professionals in South Africa

Background: Studies documenting the socioeconomic impact of education leading to employment of rural youth, specifically in the healthcare professions, are lacking. The Umthombo Youth Development Foundation (UYDF) is an NGO that provides financial support for rural students to train as healthcare professionals (HCPs) as a way of addressing staff shortages at rural hospitals. The aim of this study was to understand the social and economic impact on individuals and their families of qualifying as an HCP and being employed at a rural district hospital. Methodology: A mixed methodology was used to collect data from 40 graduates at eight district hospitals in rural KwaZulu-Natal province. The research tools had qualitative and quantitative questions, with additional data being extracted from the UYDF database. The qualitative data were analysed thematically, with STATA software being used for the quantitative analysis. Results: The findings indicate that graduate household assets increased significantly, as did their socioeconomic circumstances, compared with before they qualified as HCPs. Graduates attached high value to education that led to their employment, which provided them with money to afford assets. Having a permanent job and regular income also transformed their families' lives, as they were able to care for their siblings and extended family members. Conclusions: Training rural youth for employment in scarce skills that leads to employment, such as a career in the health sciences, boosts their socioeconomic circumstances and that of their families. This contributes to the staffing of rural hospitals, job creation and the economic development of the country

Review of Final-Year Medical Students' Rural Attachment at District Hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal: Student Perspectives

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the views of students involved in rural community-based medical attachments during their final year at medical school. The programme has been in existence for some time; but no formal evaluation thereof has yet taken place. This paper describes the first two phases of what is described as a quality improvement project: namely to describe the problem state and to discuss possible activities to improve the programme.Design; setting and subjects: The study adopted a mixture of quantitative and qualitative type research. Data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire which students at Nelson R Mandela Medical School; University of KwaZulu-Natal; completed at the end of their Family Medicine rotation. Consent was obtained from the participants and ethical approval granted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal Humanities and Social Science Ethics Committee.Results: Students were generally positive about their rural attachment experience. The majority (86) believed that their skills adequately prepared them to enter the community. Allocation of a supervisor and rostering were found to be of great importance. Academic activities provided adequate learning opportunities. The majority (76) of students who used hospital accommodation found it to be satisfactory; although it was an area that needed attention. Technological support was lacking. Fewer than 50of students had access to such facilities.Conclusion: Students' responses were generally positive about the rural attachment experience; but logistical and technological support issues; as well as that of accommodation; need to be addressed if the programme is to flourish. Community-based education in a rural district hospital can provide unique learning opportunities for students if the opportunities are identified and the programme is well managed