This evaluation for the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, examined the current effectiveness and future role of two initiatives that enable medical, nursing and allied health students to receive training in rural settings.

Both Programs are part of a long term strategy to improve recruitment and retention of health professionals in rural and remote Australia, and provide a range of academic and research opportunities.  The evaluation involved extensive consultation with the 14 Rural Clinical Schools and 11 University Departments of Rural Health across the country, and saw us conducting interviews with more than 530 people from across the rural health sector. Our detailed report assessed the effectiveness and workforce implications of the two Programs and made 25 recommendations about their future development.