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Table 2 Distribution of Australian GPs' and specialists' current practice location (community size) by number of childhood years in a rural location and size of childhood rural location

From: Nature of association between rural background and practice location: A comparison of general practitioners and specialists

Childhood rural background

Current Practice Location (Community Size)*

 

Metropolitan

Large regional

Large rural

Medium rural

Small rural

Very small rural

GPs (n)*

1716

341

318

214

274

204

0 years (70%)

61%

11%

9%

7%

7%

5%

1-5 years (7%)

58%

10%

9%

10%

7%

6%

6-10 years (6%)

44%

9%

14%

7%

14%

12%

11-18 years (17%)

39%

13%

17%

8%

13%

10%

Large/medium rural (10%)

43%

12%

18%

10%

8%

9%

Small/very small rural (13%)

43%

11%

14%

7%

15%

10%

Specialists (n)*

1434

527

288

139

26

-

0 years (73%)

62%

22%

10%

5%

1%

-

1-5 years (5%)

63%

21%

12%

2%

2%

-

6-10 years (5%)

55%

27%

13%

3%

2%

-

11-18 years (17%)

48%

22%

19%

10%

1%

-

Large/medium rural (9%)

54%

19%

19%

6%

2%

-

Small/very small rural (11%)

56%

22%

15%

6%

1%

-

  1. * Current practice location missing for 14 GPs and 11 specialists; Rural childhood years missing for 75 GPs and 54 specialists
  2. Doctors who grew up in a metropolitan or large regional location (GPs - 77%, specialists - 80%) are distributed near identically to those with 0 years rural background