{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T16:22:55Z","timestamp":1787761375499,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786924800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":16,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]],"date-time":"2026-08-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785542400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Australian J Rural Health"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To examine whether a VR rural health experience, co\u2010created using an established process and research protocol, could achieve similar impacts on rural practice intent and reflective engagement in a different geographic and organisational context.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Setting<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Metropolitan Sydney and Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Participants<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Forty\u2010one health science students and professionals recruited at careers\u2010related events or while on placement. Most participants (81.1%) were from metropolitan areas, and 39% had no prior rural work exposure.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Design<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A parallel convergent mixed\u2010methods study. Participants completed pre\u2010 and post\u2010viewing surveys assessing intended practice location and presence in the VR environment. A subset (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u200938) participated in semi\u2010structured interviews exploring their experiences. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and using Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests; interviews underwent reflexive thematic analysis.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Post\u2010VR, there was a significant shift in intended practice location (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.035,\n                      <jats:italic>r<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.233), with increased interest in inner regional and small rural communities. Participants reported high levels of presence and engagement. Three themes and four subthemes were developed, summarised as: (1) VR as immersive and convenient, though limited in interactivity; (2) a rural education and awareness tool that contextualised the rural environment and challenged assumptions; and (3) a career decision\u2010making aid that reduced uncertainty, supported exploration and helped assess person\u2013environment fit.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A locally tailored VR rural health experience reproduced, and built on the key outcomes of an earlier study in a different context, supporting its adaptability and potential as a scalable tool for rural workforce development through critical reflection and informed career exploration.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/ajr.70240","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T05:38:58Z","timestamp":1787031538000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["From Simulation to Inspiration: Using Virtual Reality to Explore Rural Health Careers"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"34","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3288-3720","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tegan","family":"Podubinski","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rural Health The University of Melbourne  Wangaratta Victoria Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0510-5314","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kristen","family":"Glenister","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rural Health The University of Melbourne  Wangaratta Victoria Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2439-2462","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hasan","family":"Ferdous","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Digital Transformation of Health The University of Melbourne  Parkville Victoria Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6798-6535","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Muhammad Ashad","family":"Kabir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering Charles Sturt University  Bathurst New South Wales Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eme","family":"John","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bathurst Rural Clinical School Western Sydney University  Bathurst New South Wales Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1727-6914","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Uchechukwu Levi","family":"Osuagwu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bathurst Rural Clinical School Western Sydney University  Bathurst New South Wales Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_11_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/ajr.13121"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/JMDH.S150623"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12909-019-1751-3"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/medu.15612"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2923.2011.04102.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/ajr.13099"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_8_1","unstructured":"Australian Institute of Health and Welfare \u201cRural & Remote Australians \u201d2023."},{"key":"e_1_2_11_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/ajr.12974"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_10_1","unstructured":"B.Eklom P.Stronach andM.Hitchins \u201cBarriers and Opportunities to Clinical Placements in Regional Rural and Remote Settings \u201d15th National Rural Health Conference; Hobart Tasmania 2019."},{"key":"e_1_2_11_11_1","volume-title":"Social Cognitive Career Theory","author":"Lent R. 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