Expanding and Sustaining Rural Clinical Education: Perspectives From Health Professions Education Leaders

View Policy Brief

06/2026

Rural clinical education, which consistently strengthens students' intention to pursue rural careers and increases the likelihood of long-term rural practice, can help address rural health care workforce shortages. This qualitative study explores strategies to sustain and expand rural clinical education, drawing on interviews with 21 rural clinical education leaders, conducted in early 2025, from organizations that support health professions education in rural and underserved communities.

Key Findings:

• Rural clinical education leaders suggested that graduate and undergraduate health professions education programs are expanding faster than rural clinical education capacity, leading to intense competition for limited clinical placements.
• Rural clinical placements face competition across disciplines and from both public and for-profit institutions offering in-person and online programs.
• Interviewees noted that rural clinical education site administrators often viewed hosting students as resource-intensive, with limited return on investment, believing that few students return to practice locally.
• Health professions education programs with strong ties to rural communities may be more successful in finding rural clinical education placements.

WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

Natalia Oster, David Evans, Davis Patterson, Holly Andrilla, Janessa Graves

Allied health professionals, Networking and collaboration, Nurses and nurse practitioners, Physician assistants, Workforce