The association between medical student selection and a fit-for-purpose medical workforce in low- and middle-income countries in the Asia-Pacific region - a scoping review

Sep 4, 2026

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Medical schools worldwide face long-standing challenges in selecting students who can meet healthcare system needs, and applying a uniform admissions strategy across the Asia-Pacific region is difficult due to differences in missions, contexts, and health priorities. This scoping review synthesizes evidence on selection strategies used by medical schools in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to support an equitable, fit-for-purpose medical workforce. Arksey and O’Malley methods were used to search multiple databases and grey literature.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background and rationale

Methods

Review approach and data sources

Eligibility criteria and outcomes

Results

Included studies and key themes

Conclusion

Proposed framework for selection

r Rural and Remote Health [www.rrh.org.au](www.rrh.org.au) James Cook University ISSN 1445-6354 Review Article The association between medical student selection and a fit-for-purpose medical workforce in low- and middle-income countries in the Asia–Pacific region: ascoping review AUTHORS William May 1,2 (Fijian ) MMed, Associate Professor in Internal Medicine * [[https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0098-421X](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0098-421X)] Sarah Larkins 1 PhD, Dean College of Medicine and Dentistry [[https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7561-3202](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7561-3202)] Tarun Sen Gupta 1 PhD, Dean and Academic Head Medicine (Acting) [[https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7698-1413](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7698-1413)] Karen Johnston 1 PhD, Senior Research Fellow David Prideaux3 PhD, Professor Jayantha Weerasinghe2 PhD CORRESPONDENCE *Assoc [Prof William May](Prof William May william.may@my.jcu.edu.au)[ william.may@my.jcu.edu.au](Prof William May william.may@my.jcu.edu.au) AFFILIATIONS 1 College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4814, Australia 2 College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji 3 Prideaux Discipline of Clinical Education, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia PUBLISHED 8 June 2026 Volume 26 Issue 2 HISTORY RECEIVED: 22 August 2025 REVISED: 9 March 2026 ACCEPTED: 12 March 2026 CITATION May W, Larkins S, Sen Gupta T, Johnston K, Prideaux D, Weerasinghe J. The association between medical student selection and a fit-forpurpose medical workforce in low-and middle-income countries in the Asia–Pacific region: a scoping review. Rural and Remote Health 2026; 26: 10393. [https://doi.org/10.22605/RRH10393](https://doi.org/10.22605/RRH10393) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence Abstract Introduction: Medical schools worldwide have struggled for decades to determine the most effective strategy for selecting students to meet the needs of their healthcare systems. Despite recent changes in the direction of medical education, most medical schools have been slow to respond and adapt their selection. Applying a standard admission strategy across dissimilar contexts, such as the Asia-Pacific region, is challenging due to differing school missions, contexts and health priorities. In addition to academic achievements, several selection approaches have been implemented across the globe, with the hope of selecting those who are ‘best’ suited to be doctors. An equitable and fit-forpurpose selection approach is crucial for meeting priority community needs and ensuring institutional accountability. This scoping review aims to explore the selection strategies used by medical schools in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) within the Asia-Pacific region to contribute to a fit-for-purpose workforce. Methods: This scoping review was conducted between July 2024 and December 2024 using the methodology outlined by Arksey and O’Malley. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed to meet the objectives of this review. SCOPUS, EMCARE, OVID Medline, ERIC and CINAHL databases were searched. Only documents in the English language were considered eligible for inclusion. There was no date restriction applied for the reviewed documents. Grey literature was searched, and unpublished theses, policy documents, abstracts of conference materials, technical reports and guidelines were extracted using the inclusion criteria. The study population consisted of medical students and graduates from LMICs within the Asia-Pacific region. Key concepts searched included selection, recruitment, admission and matriculation. The outcomes of interest were health workforce, medical workforce, fit- for-purpose, medical graduates, doctors and physicians. Five other team members worked independently and collaboratively to assess the el

FAQs

What is the main objective of this scoping review?

To explore selection strategies used by medical schools in low- and middle-income countries in the Asia-Pacific region and how these contribute to a fit-for-purpose workforce.

How were relevant studies identified and selected?

The review searched SCOPUS, EMCARE, OVID Medline, ERIC, and CINAHL, plus grey literature, using inclusion and exclusion criteria based on the review objectives.

What major themes emerged from the included studies?

Key themes included engaging stakeholders to support political validity, prioritizing community health needs for social accountability, responding to local context, ensuring sustainability, and using a mission-driven selection strategy.

Sep 4, 2026

Uploaded by Putri