{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,7]],"date-time":"2026-05-07T04:13:47Z","timestamp":1778127227133,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"CSIRO Publishing","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,9]],"date-time":"2026-04-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775692800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,15]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Rural workforce maldistribution persists, and short rural immersions that embed students in community life may strengthen rural intentions and deepen understanding of social determinants. This study examined a community-engaged, therapeutic gardening immersion as a novel place-based rural learning context in two Western Australian Wheatbelt towns.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A mixed-methods design was used. A pre-placement survey of Year 3 medical students (n\u00a0=\u00a022) captured baseline intentions and preferences. Post-placement, semi-structured interviews were conducted with students (n\u00a0=\u00a022) and community members (n\u00a0=\u00a010). Interviews were analysed manually using reflexive thematic analysis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Most students reported high baseline rural interest (20\/22 likely or very likely to pursue Rural Clinical School\/rural electives), typically favouring regional or larger rural centres. Qualitative findings indicated that shared practical work rapidly dissolved social distance and fostered belonging; students described clearer insight into rural contexts and social determinants, and reflected on professional identity and rural career pathways, alongside generally positive personal growth. Community members reported visible outputs in a short time, students as social catalysts for renewed engagement, and a need for planning, materials and recurring cycles to sustain gains.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A brief, garden-centred immersion appears feasible and educationally valuable: it supports relationship-building, situated learning about determinants of health and professional identity work while delivering tangible community benefit. Programs should co-design tasks with hosts, plan logistics early and build ongoing partnerships; future work should track longitudinal student outcomes and community-level indicators to assess durability.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1071\/py25276","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,7]],"date-time":"2026-05-07T03:26:12Z","timestamp":1778124372000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["How a community-engaged therapeutic garden immersion shapes rural intentions among medical students and strengthens student\u2013community partnerships"],"prefix":"10.1071","volume":"32","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5771-2282","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Anett","family":"Nyaradi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"ACurtin Medical School, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, 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