Educational Opportunities For Children Research Articles

Effect of a Local Vision Care Center on Eyeglasses Use and School Performance in Rural China

Visual impairment is common among children in rural China, but fewer than one-third of children with poor vision own and wear eyeglasses. To study the effect of hospital-based vision centers on academic performance, ownership of eyeglasses, and eyeglasses-wearing behavior in rural Chinese children. Cluster randomized, investigator-masked, clinical trial from September 2014 through June 2015. A vision center capable of providing refractive services was established in the Hospital of Yongshou County, a nationally designated poor county in rural Shaanxi Province, western China. All 31 rural primary schools in Yongshou County participated; participants were all children in grades 4 through 6 (aged approximately 10-12 years) with uncorrected visual acuity of Snellen 6/12 or worse in either eye (2613 children). Data analysis was conducted March through May 2016, and data were analyzed by the intention-to-treat principle. After teacher-led vision screening early in the school year (September-October 2014), schools were randomly assigned to either early referral (December 2014-February 2015) to the vision center for refraction and free eyeglasses if needed or late referral (March-June 2015) for the identical intervention. The primary outcome was score on a study-administered mathematics test (June 2015) adjusted for baseline score. Secondary outcomes were self-reported eyeglasses ownership and wear at final examination (June 2015). All 2613 children evaluated were of Han Chinese race/ethnicity, and 1209 (46.3%) were female. Twelve hundred children (45.9%) met the vision criteria. Among these, 543 (45.3%) were randomized to early screening and 657 (54.7%) to late screening; 433 (79.7%) of the early screening group and 516 (78.5%) of the late screening group completed the study. Of eligible children, 120 (27.7%) owned eyeglasses at baseline. The adjusted effect on test scores comparing early and late groups was 0.25 SD (95% CI, 0.01-0.48; 1-sided P = .04), with the point estimate equivalent to half a semester of additional learning. At the end of the study, 347 of the 433 participants in the early group (80%) reported owning eyeglasses and 326 (75%) reported wearing eyeglasses; among the 516 participants in the late group, 371 (61%) reported owning and 286 (55%) reported wearing eyeglasses. In this study, early provision of free eyeglasses was seen to improve children's academic performance and wearing of spectacles. These findings suggest that a county hospital-based vision center may be an effective way to improve children's educational opportunities in rural China. isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN03252665.

Informal Lifelong Learning for Development in Papua New Guinea: A case study from the margins into the mainstream

This article traces the impact of the Ginigoada Foundation on the educational development of thousands of children and adults in Papua New Guinea (PNG).Port Moresby, capital city of Papua New Guinea (PNG), had been noted for the lack of educational opportunities for the majority of the population who lived in urban villages and squatter settlements. A “User-Pay” policy resulted in children not attending school because the costs were too high. Elsewhere in PNG, educational opportunities for children and adults were even lower. Dame Carol Kidu was instrumental in the establishment of the Ginigoada Foundation, an NGO that provides learning and training assistance, and she reflects on past and current developments in this article.Ginigoada’s initial programs for learning and development in Port Moresby were so popular that they led to the establishment of a fleet of buses to take programs out to local communities initially in Port Moresby (PNG’s capital city) and now the model is expanding to other provinces of PNG. Numbers of enrolments and graduation successes confirm that the Ginigoada Foundation has been very successful in terms of meeting learning needs. New developments include UNICEF- funded Open Learning Networks and the provision of a mobile wifi library.

Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship in Early Childhood Education and Care. Lessons from Three Case Studies of Innovative Services in Emilia-Romagna, Italy

The paper presents the results of an eight-month research program undertaken under the InnoSI project framework, funded under the European Research Program Horizon 2020. We adopt the theoretical framework of social innovation of Westley and Antadze (2010), applying the four-dimensional scheme of social innovation elaborated by Hochgerner (2011): resources, authority flows, routine and beliefs (Bassi, 2011). We also refer to the typology of social innovations in the field of welfare policy emerging from the research of Evers, Ewert and Brandsen (2014). We use a multiple case study research model (Yin, 1993; 1994) that highlights the relationships among the micro, meso, and macro level of analysis of a program, project, and intervention at the local level. The case study analyses the integrated system of early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in Emilia-Romagna as an example of how increasing the accessibility and quality of ECEC provision could be pursued through a partnership between the public and private not-for-profit initiatives which pro-actively engage with local actors. The rationale for selecting the units of analysis, three early childhood services distributed across the regional territory, is therefore linked to the social demands underlying services’ implementation: reconciliation of family and working life responsibilities for parents; equal educational opportunities for children’s development and growth; and participation of groups which are at risk of social exclusion (low-income families, children from ethnic minority background).

Projekty edukacyjne współfinansowane z funduszy Unii Europejskiej zrealizowane na obszarach wiejskich województwa łódzkiego. Studium sześciu gmin – powody aplikowania i efekty zrealizowanych inicjatyw

Na przykładzie case study sześciu gmin wiejskich z województwa łódzkiego zaprezentowano powody aplikowania o fundusze Unii Europejskiej, sposoby i strategie realizacji projektów edukacyjnych oraz typy efektów tych inicjatyw. W oparciu o przeprowadzone wywiady swobodne z ekspertami oraz analizę dokumentacji 55 zrealizowanych projektów przedstawiono podobieństwa i różnice w podejściu władz gmin i pracowników placówek oświatowych do wdrażania działań służących wyrównywaniu szans edukacyjnych dzieci i młodzieży. Przedstawiono typy efektów projektów edukacyjnych zrealizowanych w badanych gminach wiejskich. Artykuł obejmuje także rekomendacje praktyczne.

Race, Class, and Religion: Creaming and Cropping in Religious, Ethnic, and Cultural Charter Schools

This Article is devoted to one of the most fascinating contemporary developments in American public education—the phenomenal rise of religious, ethnic, and cultural charter schools. Religious, ethnic, and cultural charter schools are established by a religious or ethnic community with the aim of providing an education saturated with the respective values and culture of that community. Despite their growing prevalence and the significant legal challenges they pose, they have, thus far, not been given sufficient attention by legal scholars. What little discussion there is focuses solely on religious charter schools’ incompatibility with the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. While the Establishment Clause challenge constitutes one central challenge to religious charter schools, another crucial aspect of their operation should be highlighted: their negative impact on the educational opportunities of children from racial minorities and lower socioeconomic classes. The Article argues that because of their unique characteristics, religious, ethnic, and cultural charter schools are especially likely to have negative effects on educational equality, and makes the case for legislative intervention in order to prevent this outcome. First, the Article exposes and explores the central detrimental effects of religious, ethnic, and cultural charter schools: racial and socioeconomic segregation, and the twin-processes of “creaming” and “cropping.” Then, based on a comprehensive critical survey of all charter legislation in the United States aimed at preventing segregation in the different states, the Article argues that charters’ antidiscrimination rules have the surprising effect of worsening inequality instead of alleviating it, and that the legislative measures aimed at ensuring integration cannot fully promote equality. Therefore, the Article supports a different strategy, adopted recently in Delaware, according to which religious and ethnic charter schools should be authorized only if they do not compromise the education of students in traditional public schools.

Organisation and Diversification of the Educational Market in Poland: The Case of the Poznań Agglomeration

Abstract The political changes in Poland after 1989 affected the formation of a self-reliant society. One of the results was the decentralisation of public tasks in the field of education, with the relevant competences transmitted to local governments. Since then, communes have been responsible for ensuring equal access to public education, but at the same time a non-public education market has been developing. Important for changes in the Polish educational system was also a reform started in 1999 which led to the transformation of the two-level system of education existing since 1968 into a three-level structure. The first non-public schools began to form as an alternative to public ones. Currently, non-public schools are mainly run by non-governmental organisations, religious institutions or social associations. In the general opinion, the quality of education in non-public schools is higher than in public ones (smaller classes, better contact between student and teacher, an individual approach to each student). In the face of education-model changes it is important to create a wide range of learning opportunities for everyone. It is also not about competition, but cooperation among all institutions involved in education provision. In this article, the progressive diversification of the educational market is presented on the example of the Poznań agglomeration. A diversified educational system, its commercialisation, and the creation of new educational opportunities for children and young people beyond the basic programme of education are undoubtedly benefits for the Polish society. The growing competition among the wide range of educational institutions (also taking into account institutions organising extra-curricular classes), from a theoretical point of view, should help to improve the quality of education in the entire market of educational services. As a consequence, these trends, together with demographic changes, may invite the question about the prospects of public schools in their present form in the future.

Determinants of an urban origin student choosing rural practice: a scoping review

The shortage of physicians in rural and remote communities is an ongoing problem. Many studies have shown that the rural background of a student (ie rural origin) is a primary factor in recruiting physicians for practice in rural communities. Scoping reviews are primarily done to gauge the extent of literature on the research question at hand, typically with an intent that future research in that area is a constructive addition to pre-existing knowledge. This scoping review focuses on factors that predispose urban-origin students to choose a carrier in rural medicine. The study used Arksey and O'Malley's guidelines for a scoping review of the literature, which, in contrast to a traditional systematic review, is brief yet comprehensive. Medline (Ovid) and PubMed databases were used to review literature published between 1 January 1970 and 30 November 2014. After removing duplicates, articles were screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria set up by the research team. The literature search resulted in 435 articles, 418 of which were excluded, leaving 17 articles for comprehensive review. Out of these 17 studies, the following four factors that suggest why urban-origin medical students may choose rural practice were generated: geographic diffusion of physicians in response to economic forces such as debt repayment and financial incentives (five studies), scope of practice and personal satisfaction (five studies), undergraduate and postgraduate rural training (nine studies) and premedical school mindset to practice rurally (five studies). Urban-origin students may choose rural practice because of market forces as well as financial incentives. The participation in undergraduate and postgraduate rural training is reported to positively alter the attitude of urban-origin students. A small subset of these students has a predetermined mindset to practice rurally at the time of matriculation. Obstacles for choosing a rural carrier include, but are not limited to lack of job and education opportunities for spouses/partners, lack of recreational and educational opportunities for children, and obscure opportunities for continuing medical education.

The ability to use cloud technologies teacher in an elementary school

The purpose is to define the relevance of the use of cloud technologies for working with junior pupils. Objectives: consider the cloud services and determine the prospects for using cloud technologies in educational process. Object: use of cloud technologies in professional work of elementary school teachers. Subject: possibility of using of cloud technologies in the work of elementary school teachers. Methods: descriptive (sources analysis, study of government documents). Conclusions: use of cloud technologies in education helps to improve the process preparation of junior pupils today. Presence of electronic textbooks and other training of materials in combination with cloud technology enables the junior pupils replenish knowledge anytime with access to remote educational resources. In particular, it provides further education opportunities for children with special needs. Cloud technologies allow you to create virtual classrooms and implement on-line event: extracurricular lessons, laboratory work, thematic evenings, and educational measures.

HIGHLIGHTS OF INTELLIGENCE AND HEALTHY LIVING in the Tatar folk pedagogy

The aim of the present study reveal Tatar folk pedagogy for the content therein intellectual education opportunities for children and adults, as well as raising a healthy lifestyle. Thus, the object of study is the Tatar folk pedagogy and subject advocate intellectual development and education of healthy lifestyle of the younger generation. It should be noted that, on the one hand, Tatar folk pedagogy is not enough to explore the area, and on the other - the problem of intellectual development and education of a healthy lifestyle means folk pedagogy is a new direction in teaching science in general, in the history of education and pedagogical thought. The main qualities of intellect are curiosity, depth of mind, flexibility and agility of mind, logical thinking, the conclusiveness of thinking, critical thinking, breadth of thinking. The study shows that the problem of intelligence is closely connected with a healthy way of life. The article examines the intellectual development and education of a healthy lifestyle means Tatar folk pedagogy. Basic tools authors chose Tatar folk proverbs and sayings.

The private problem with public service: rural teachers in educational markets

Staffing rural and remote schools is an important policy issue for the public good. This paper examines the private issues it also poses for teachers with families working in these communities, as they seek to reconcile careers with educational choices for children. The paper first considers historical responses to staffing rural and remote schools in Australia, and the emergence of neoliberal policy encouraging marketisation of the education sector. We report on interviews about considerations motivating household mobility with 11 teachers across regional, rural and remote communities in Queensland. Like other middle-class parents, these teachers prioritised their children's educational opportunities over career opportunities. The analysis demonstrates how teachers in rural and remote communities constitute a special group of educational consumers with insider knowledge and unique dilemmas around school choice. Their heightened anxieties around school choice under neoliberal policy are shown to contribute to the public issue of staffing rural and remote schools.

AR LAUKIAMI DIASPOROS VAIKAI LIETUVOJE? TĖVŲ IR MOKYTOJŲ PATIRTYS

The article is based on a research project funded by the Lithuanian Research Council and conducted in Lithuania, with a focus on the challenges when integrating children that are coming back with parents from abroad into the Lithuanian education system. It is based on semi-structured interviews and one focus group with teachers that have experience educating returnees’ children as well as interviews with return migrants that have children under eighteen. In addition, two representative surveys – the Lithuanian population survey and the survey of return migrants – are used to illustrate the tendencies of return migration. This article aims to contribute to the development of return migration research field and raises such questions as: How the educational opportunities for children make impact on decision to return to Lithuania? How educational institutions are chosen and how the pupils’ knowledge is evaluated? What are the main challenges that teachers face while educating returnees’ children? The research has revealed that family circumstances are one of the most important factors motivating emigrants to return. The desire to start a family and raise children in a Lithuanian cultural environment and children’s education may be important aspects when deciding to return. Parents that are planning to return are interested in educational opportunities for children, are collecting relevant information and, if possible, are visiting schools before returning to Lithuania. Some of them express their worries about the preparation of teachers to educate their children. The research also shows that not all teachers are aware how to deal with the challenges they face educating pupils with the migrant background. The qualitative interviews have revealed that it is harder to get relevant information for teachers from small towns, and it is hardly possible for them to participate in the trainings that are organised in the cities. Therefore, teachers are obliged to find individual creative solutions for teaching children. According to the interviewees, such measures as individualised course materials, specific training courses, allocation of additional funding for the Lithuanian language or other subject classes could contribute to a better integration of returnees’ children. The interviews also disclosed that not all policy measures for the integration of children with the migrant background are applicable in small towns.

Seeking to Expand Middle Level Success to All Students: A Not-So-Secret Recipe

The author shares how a charter school in Denver, Colorado, utilizes the middle school philosophy and middle level practices as responsive practice to promote academic, emotional, and social growth.The recipe for success of Strive Preparatory Charter School (formerly West Denver Preparatory Charter School) is not a secret. This summer program, turned four-campus, middle level phenomenon, is proving to satisfy the appetite of parents hungry for a change in their children's educational opportunities. The intent of this article is to share a set of simple, effective, and replicable practices used to defy the traditionally low odds of success for often-underserved student populations. Strive Prep teachers and administrators are successfully motivating, educating, and preparing students for present and future challenges through school culture building and implementation of specific structures for both people and time. In addition, practices that prevent discipline problems, as well as interventions when prevention is not enough, are integral to Strive Prep's effectiveness.Colorado measures annual academic growth based on the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) data as part of the Colorado Growth Model. The Harvey Park Campus of Strive Prep (SP) was determined to have made the most academic growth among all public secondary schools in the state in 2010. The Federal Campus came in second, giving Strive Prep the top two public schools statewide for academic growth. Denver Public Schools review schools annually through a comprehensive school performance framework based on CSAP scores, community satisfaction, parent involvement, and other indicators. The performance of the sixth, seventh, and eighth graders at the two SP middle schools speaks for itself. Based on the school performance framework, in 2010 the Harvey Park Campus was ranked first among the 132 schools evaluated across grade levels, with the Federal Campus second among secondary schools and fourth overall. These are remarkable achievements in any light but particularly so, given the comparison of student population poverty rates shown in Figure 1.When asked what factors contribute to Strive Prep's success, CEO and founder Chris Gibbons stated:Three factors, when working in concert, bring about success for our students: culture, structure, and talent. A culture of achievement and engagement throughout the organization, a structured learning environment that lets teachers teach and kids learn, and a strong pathway to attract and develop teacher talent as we professionalize the teaching craft... these interdependent factors equal success.To truly appreciate how far these students have come, you must be aware of who they are. Students enrolled in the Strive Prep system hardly fit the stereotypical idea of prep students. About 90% receive free or reduced-price lunches and the majority of students begin their experience at SP one to three grade levels behind in reading or math or both. The student population is 96% minority, with 40% of those English language learners. SP has a free, open-enrollment policy that accepts students without review of previous grades, test scores, academic progress, or behavior history. Freely accepting all students is part of Gibbons' mission. I'm a Denver native and have worked in or around Southwest Denver for most of the past 15 years. It's a community with great passion around education and a real need for high-performing options that are serious about preparing students for a four-year university.How Strive Prep beganIn 2001, Gibbons became the director of Denver Summerbridge, the program now known as Breakthrough Kent Denver, a teaching and tutoring program to help close the educational gap that often occurs among all students during the summer months but is more pronounced among student populations similar to those who now attend SP (David, 2010). While more privileged students may receive private tutoring, go on family vacations, or attend camps in June, July, and August, many SP students spend their summers watching siblings, taking care of the home, or even working to help support the family. …

To Match or Not: Factors Influencing Resident Choice of Graduate Medical Education Program

Little is known about the factors that influence applicants' decisions to select a graduate medical education training program. Programs may improve their recruitment by better understanding that process. Following the Match for the years 2008 though 2010, an electronic survey was sent to 664 applicants to 15 Duke University graduate medical education programs. Those individuals were ranked high enough to match to Duke University but chose to match at another institution. We used quantitative and qualitative analyses to explore factors influencing candidates' decisions and to identify program and institutional improvements to better attract top candidates. Response rate was 63% (417/664). The quantitative analysis identified factors that were "very important" to applicants (current resident satisfaction, relationship between faculty and residents, collegiality of current residents, quantity and quality of faculty content/mentoring, faculty teaching expertise, diversity of patients and types of procedures, and location), and those that were "not important" to applicants (child care or education opportunities for children, salary, United States Medical Licensing Examination requirements, part-time training options, favorable environment for minorities or women). There were statistically significant differences among specialties. Qualitative analysis identified 3 themes as most influential in their choice: location, program relationships, and the interview experience. The collection of 3years of data across specialties identified factors that are important to applicants' choice of a training program. Some factors can be addressed quickly and with little effort, such as the format of the interview day. Others require programs and institutions to revisit their mission, priorities, and training culture to improve relationships between residents and faculty. Programs may wish to be more tactical in selecting the residents and faculty who meet with applicants and be more focused in planning how the interview time is used.

The landscape of gifted and talented education in England and Wales: how are teachers implementing policy?

This paper explores the evidence relating to how primary schools are responding to the ‘gifted and talented’ initiative in England and Wales. A questionnaire survey which invited both closed and open-ended responses was carried out with a national sample of primary schools. The survey indicated an increasing proportion of coordinators, compared with a survey carried out in 1996, were identifying their gifted and talented children as well as having associated school policies. However, the survey also highlighted a number of issues which need addressing if the initiative is to achieve its objective of providing the best possible educational opportunities for children. For example, it was found that a significant number of practitioners were not aware of the existence of the National Quality Standards for gifted and talented education, provided by the UK government in 2007, and the subject-specific criteria provided by the UK’s Curriculum Authority for identification and provision have been largely ignored. The process of identifying children to be placed on the ‘gifted and talented’ register seems haphazard and based on pragmatic reasons. Analysis of teachers’ responses also revealed a range of views and theoretical positioning held by them, which have implications for classroom practice. As the ‘gifted and talented’ initiative in the UK is entering a second decade, and yet more significant changes in policy are introduced, pertinent questions need to be raised and given consideration.

The Grassroots Londolozi Model of African Development: Social Empathy in Action

Aid efforts in Africa often fail, sometimes increasing the very problems they are meant to ease. A grassroots effort we call the Londolozi model is bringing local South Africans out of poverty by restoring their homeland's ecosystem. Based on principles of social empathy to develop local ecotourism, the model demonstrates how it is possible to generate a small, medium, and micro-enterprise economy that creates jobs for the local community. In addition, the Londolozi learning center and the private, not-for-profit Good Work Foundation have worked in partnership with the local community to offer adult literacy training, educational opportunities for children and youth, AIDS education, and other sustainable services necessary to end poverty. The basic precepts of the Londolozi model and principles of social empathy can be used to promote social development in other parts of Africa, as well as in other regions of the world.

Teachers' Responses to the Gifted and Talented Policy in the UK: A Review of the Landscape

The study reported in this paper explores how primary school teachers in England are responding to the gifted and talented initiative, introduced by the UK government a decade ago. A survey carried out with a national sample of primary school teachers showed that an increasing proportion of teachers, compared with a survey carried out in 1996, were identifying their gifted and talented children. There was also an increase in the number of schools which have policies for gifted and talented education. However, the survey also indicated a number of issues which need addressing if the initiative is to achieve its objective of providing the best possible educational opportunities for children. For example, it was found that a significant number of practitioners were not aware of the existence of the National Quality Standards for gifted and talented education, provided by the UK government in 2007, and the subject- specific criteria provided by the UK's Curriculum Authority for identification and provision have been largely ignored. The process of identifying gifted and talented children seems haphazard and based on pragmatic considerations. Analysis of teachers' responses also revealed a range of views and theoretical positioning held by them, which may have implications for classroom practice.

Motivations and perceived value of volunteer tourists from Hong Kong

This study examines the motivational factors and perceived value of Hong Kong volunteer tourists. The results of a focus group and in-depth interviews reveal five main motives for travelers to partake in volunteer trips: cultural immersion and interaction with the local people; desire to give back and show love and concern; a shared experience with family members and an educational opportunity for children; religious involvement; and escape from everyday life. The perceived value of these volunteer travelers includes personal growth and development, relationship enhancement, and change in perspective on life. The factors influencing their future decision to participate in volunteer tourism include time, financial ability, safety and health issues, arrangements and scale of the tour, and reputation of the organizer.

“Inclusive education: The way of the future”—A rebuttal

At the general presentation of the 48th session of the International Conference on Education, “Inclusive Education: The Way of the Future”, a “holistic” approach was advocated to improve educational opportunities for children who are excluded from an equal education and adults who are illiterate. The first part of this paper argues that a more effective approach would be “piecemeal social engineering”. The second section presents examples of the piecemeal or targeted approach and offers suggestions for applying it to improve educational opportunities for this group.

Inextricably Linked: An International Human Rights Perspective on Child Health and Education

Millions of children around the world wish most of all for the chance at an education. Their thirst for education is so great that when barriers such as school fees have been removed in some countries, school populations surge almost overnight. Unfortunately, tens of millions of children face considerable obstacles in attempting to realize their right to education. Economic, social, and geographic barriers are, in some respects, readily identifiable. However, another obstacle to children's dreams of pursuing an education - health status - often goes unnoticed. This article focuses on the links between health and education in children's development. While connections flow in both directions, the article's primary aim is to highlight specifically the impact of health on education prospects. The dramatic consequences of health status on children's educational opportunities suggest that educators have a role to play in the health sector. The article discusses the importance of international human rights law in advancing the health and educational opportunities for children and suggests that human rights law can be an important tool for educators seeking to promote progress in health and education and further assist children in developing to their fullest potential.

Why do medical graduates choose rural careers?

This study is based on the metaphor of the 'rural pipeline' into medical practice. The four stages of the rural pipeline are: (1) contact between rural secondary schools and the medical profession; (2) selection of rural students into medical programs; (3) rural exposure during medical training; and (4) measures to address retention of the rural medical workforce. Using the rural pipeline template we conducted a literature review, analysed the selection methods of Australian graduate entry medical schools and interviewed 17 interns about their medical career aspirations. The literature was reviewed to assess the effectiveness of selection practices to predict successful gradation and the impact of rural pipeline components on eventual rural practice. Undergraduate academic performance is the strongest predictor of medical course academic performance. The predictive power of interviews is modest. There are limited data on the predictive power of other measures of non-cognitive performance or the content of the undergraduate degree. Prior rural residence is the strongest predictor of choice of a rural career but extended rural exposure during medical training also has a significant impact. The most significant influencing factors are: professional support at national, state and local levels; career pathway opportunities; contentedness of the practitioner's spouse in rural communities; preparedness to adopt a rural lifestyle; educational opportunities for children; and proximity to extended family and social circle. Analysis of selection methods: Staff involved in student selection into 9 Australian graduate entry medical schools were interviewed. Four themes were identified: (1) rurality as a factor in student selection; (2) rurality as a factor in student selection interviews; (3) rural representation on student selection interview panels; (4) rural experience during the medical course. Interns' career intentions: Three themes were identified: (1) the efficacy of the rural pipeline; (2) community connectedness through the rural pipeline; (3) impediments to the effect of the rural pipeline, the most significant being a partner who was not committed to rural life Based on the literature review and interviews, 11 strategies are suggested to increase the number of graduates choosing a career in rural medicine, and one strategy for maintaining practitioners in rural health settings after graduation.