
Overview
Background
Associate Professor Matthew McGrail is the Head of Regional Training Hubs research at UQ’s Rural Clinical School. Joining UQ in Nov 2017, he is based at the Rockhampton Clinical Unit, and he is chair of the research and evaluation working group of UQ’s Regional Medical Pathway as well as chair of UQ RCS’s medical graduate cohort longitudinal tracking study (UQ MediCoS).
Matthew has worked in the university sector for over 20 years, working mostly as a researcher in rural health. He was originally trained as a statistician, expanding his skills across GIS and software development, completing his PhD in 2008. He has been lead biostatistician on 3 large NHMRC-funded RCTs that are published in the world-leading general medical journal, the Lancet. Matthew’s research is mostly underpinned by the overall objective of improved access to health care for rural populations, mainly focused in the medical sector. He has a unique blend of ‘generalist’ research skills and experience across the disciplines of statistics, geography, rural health, econometrics, public health and clinical research.
Matthew has a particular interest in the ongoing concerns with medical workforce distribution, connecting that through his research and evaluation to health policies, training pathways and healthcare systems. To date he has been a chief investigator on two separate Centres of Research Excellence, one on medical workforce dynamics and the other on rural and remote primary health care access. He has also co-researched with various GP training organisations, specialty colleges, rural workforce agencies, as well as state and commonwealth health departments
Availability
- Associate Professor Matthew McGrail is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Science, University of Melbourne
- Graduate Diploma in Information Technology (Software Development), Swinburne University of Technology
- Doctor of Philosophy, Monash University
Research interests
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Rural medical workforce training
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Workforce distribution
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Access to health care
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Rural health workforce policy
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Health services research
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GIS methodologies in health
Research impacts
Matthew has over 130 peer reviewed journal publications. He is globally recognised for his research of medical workforce training and distributional outcomes, which directly impacts healthcare access for rural populations. He was a lead investigator on the completed Centre of Research Excellence in Rural and Remote Primary Health Care, under which he developed improved measures of healthcare access, notably producing the national Index of Access.
He was also a chief investigator of the NHMRC-funded Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life (MABEL) longitudinal study of doctors (data collected 2008-18), under which he led the rural supply and distribution research theme. These data are still used as key source of national evidence of the medical workforce. In 2018, the MABEL project was awarded the Best Impact Prize from the Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand, primarily due to the body of work from the rural theme. A key outcome of MABEL was the Modified Monash Model (MMM) classification, which he co-developed with Emeritus Prof John Humphreys. From 2015, the MMM has been adopted to underpin most Commonwealth Department of Health policies in rural health.
Works
Search Professor Matthew McGrail’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
The Economic Value of Virtual Primary Healthcare Services for Rural Populations: A Systematic Review
Simpson, Digby, Ahmad, Kabir, Mosharaf, Md Parvez, Nasir, Bushra Farah, Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas, McGrail, Matthew, Wallis, Katharine A and Alam, Khorshed (2025). The Economic Value of Virtual Primary Healthcare Services for Rural Populations: A Systematic Review. Health Policy and Technology, 14 (5) 101067, 101067. doi: 10.1016/j.hlpt.2025.101067
2025
Journal Article
Building a rural medical workforce: the foundations of a place-based approach to program evaluation
Fuller, Lara, Beattie, Jessica, Versace, Vincent L., Rogers, Gary D. and McGrail, Matthew Richard (2025). Building a rural medical workforce: the foundations of a place-based approach to program evaluation. Frontiers in Medicine, 12, 12. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1582793
2025
Journal Article
Fostering the growth and development of the female rural generalist workforce: a mixed methods study
Anderson, Emily, O’Sullivan, Belinda, Gurney, Tiana, Young, Louise, Broadfield, Kirstie, McGrail, Matthew and McArthur, Lawrie (2025). Fostering the growth and development of the female rural generalist workforce: a mixed methods study. International Journal for Equity in Health, 24 (1) 182, 1. doi: 10.1186/s12939-025-02558-4
2025
Journal Article
Identifying the experience of geographical narcissism during medical education and training
Partanen, Riitta, Eley, Diann, Ostini, Remo and McGrail, Matthew (2025). Identifying the experience of geographical narcissism during medical education and training. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 1-19. doi: 10.1007/s10459-025-10440-9
2025
Journal Article
Retention of doctors in remote, rural and First Nations communities using distributed general practice education: a scalable solution
Giddings, Patrick, O’Sullivan, Belinda and McGrail, Matthew (2025). Retention of doctors in remote, rural and First Nations communities using distributed general practice education: a scalable solution. Frontiers in Medicine, 12 1584501, 1584501-12. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1584501
2025
Journal Article
Medical school admission processes to target rural applicants: an international scoping review and mapping of Australian practices
Fox, Jordan, Beattie, Jessica, McGrail, Janelle, Eley, Diann, Fuller, Lara, Hu, Wendy, Keniry, Catherine, Chennakesavan, Srinivas Kondalsamy, Parker-Newlyn, Lyndal, Reid, Katharine, Walters, Lucie and McGrail, Matthew (2025). Medical school admission processes to target rural applicants: an international scoping review and mapping of Australian practices. BMC Medical Education, 25 (1) 659, 1. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-07234-3
2025
Journal Article
Medical Students' and Supervisors' Experiences of Extracurricular Research at a Rural Clinical School: A Mixed‐Methods Study
Fox, Jordan L., MacAskill, William, McGrail, Matthew, Eley, Diann, Kondalsamy‐Chennakesavan, Srinivas and Martin, Priya (2025). Medical Students' and Supervisors' Experiences of Extracurricular Research at a Rural Clinical School: A Mixed‐Methods Study. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 33 (2) e70044, e70044. doi: 10.1111/ajr.70044
2025
Journal Article
Risk Stratification for CKD Progression in Primary Care
Mutatiri, Clyson, Ratsch, Angela, McGrail, Matthew, Venuthurupalli, Sree Krishna and Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas (2025). Risk Stratification for CKD Progression in Primary Care. Kidney International Reports, 10 (5), 1559-1561. doi: 10.1016/j.ekir.2025.02.037
2025
Journal Article
General practice specialty decision-making: a system-level Australian qualitative study
Yong, Faith R., Martin, Priya, Wallis, Katharine A., Fox, Jordan, Kirubakaran, Sneha, Partanen, Riitta L., Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas and McGrail, Matthew R. (2025). General practice specialty decision-making: a system-level Australian qualitative study. BJGP Open bjgpo.2024.0218. doi: 10.3399/bjgpo.2024.0218
2025
Journal Article
Depression and comorbid chronic physical health diseases in the Australian population: A scoping review
Srinivasan, Gouri, Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas, McGrail, Matthew, Garg, Vikas and Nasir, Bushra (2025). Depression and comorbid chronic physical health diseases in the Australian population: A scoping review. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 59 (4), 48674251317336-338. doi: 10.1177/00048674251317336
2025
Journal Article
You cannot be what you cannot see: a retrospective natural longitudinal cohort study exploring the impact of face-to-face rural immersion on student medical training satisfaction and intention to practice rurally
Nasir, Bushra F., Chater, Alan Bruce, Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas and Mcgrail, Matthew R. (2025). You cannot be what you cannot see: a retrospective natural longitudinal cohort study exploring the impact of face-to-face rural immersion on student medical training satisfaction and intention to practice rurally. BMJ Open, 15 (1) e087383, e087383. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087383
2025
Journal Article
Interprofessional education and collaborative practice with practicing radiographers: a mixed methods scoping review
Johnson, K., Martin, P., McDonald, D. and McGrail, M. (2025). Interprofessional education and collaborative practice with practicing radiographers: a mixed methods scoping review. Radiography, 31 (1), 434-441. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2025.01.001
2024
Journal Article
Challenges and strategies for international medical graduates in registration and integration into the Australian healthcare system: Protocol for a systematic scoping review
Li, Wen, Nisar, Mehwish, Gillies, Robyn, McGrail, Matthew and Khan, Asaduzzaman (2024). Challenges and strategies for international medical graduates in registration and integration into the Australian healthcare system: Protocol for a systematic scoping review. Figshare. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.27896436.v1
2024
Journal Article
Rural and metropolitan applicants' experiences of the admissions process for a provisional entry regional medical training pathway
Fox, Jordan, Saluja, Sonia, Batacan, Romeo, Pullen, Candice, Yong, Faith and McGrail, Matthew (2024). Rural and metropolitan applicants' experiences of the admissions process for a provisional entry regional medical training pathway. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 33 (1) e13211, e13211. doi: 10.1111/ajr.13211
2024
Journal Article
Co‐creating an Indigenous‐led virtual health services model for Indigenous Australians living with chronic disease
Nasir, Bushra Farah, MacAskill, William, Leedie, Floyd, Martin, Priya, Alam, Khorshed, Wallis, Katharine, McGrail, Matthew and Kondalsamy‐Chennakesavan, Srinivas (2024). Co‐creating an Indigenous‐led virtual health services model for Indigenous Australians living with chronic disease. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 33 (1) e13206, e13206. doi: 10.1111/ajr.13206
2024
Journal Article
Primary and specialist care interaction and referral patterns for individuals with chronic kidney disease: a narrative review
Mutatiri, Clyson, Ratsch, Angela, McGrail, Matthew, Venuthurupalli, Sree Krishna and Chennakesavan, Srinivas Kondalsamy (2024). Primary and specialist care interaction and referral patterns for individuals with chronic kidney disease: a narrative review. BMC Nephrology, 25 (1) 149, 1-17. doi: 10.1186/s12882-024-03585-z
2024
Journal Article
Exploring learning characteristics and progression of GP trainees based in regional, rural and remote settings: A qualitative study
Anderson, Emily, Gurney, Tiana, Young, Louise, O'Sullivan, Belinda, McArthur, Lawrie, McGrail, Matthew and Hollins, Aaron (2024). Exploring learning characteristics and progression of GP trainees based in regional, rural and remote settings: A qualitative study. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 32 (6), 1150-1158. doi: 10.1111/ajr.13182
2024
Journal Article
Sustained impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical student learning and well-being in rural Australia: findings from a repeated national multicentre survey
Martin, Priya, McGrail, Matthew R., Fox, Jordan, Doyle, Zelda, Ostini, Remo, Beattie, Jessica, Fuller, Lara, Allen, Penny and Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas (2024). Sustained impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical student learning and well-being in rural Australia: findings from a repeated national multicentre survey. BMJ Open, 14 (11) e086359, 1-8. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086359
2024
Conference Publication
Applicant experiences of the admissions process for a regional medical pathway
Fox, Jordan, Saluja, Sonia, McGrail, Matthew, Batacan, Romeo, Pullen, Candice and Young, Faith (2024). Applicant experiences of the admissions process for a regional medical pathway. Rural Medicine Australia 2024, Darwin, NT Australia, 23 - 26 October 2024.
2024
Journal Article
Perceived stakeholder benefits of continuously training general practitioners in the same rural or remote practice: interviews exploring the Remote Vocational Training Scheme
O'Sullivan, Belinda G., Giddings, Patrick and McGrail, Matthew R. (2024). Perceived stakeholder benefits of continuously training general practitioners in the same rural or remote practice: interviews exploring the Remote Vocational Training Scheme. Medical Journal of Australia, 221 (S7), S29-S34. doi: 10.5694/mja2.52446
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Matthew McGrail is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
The Effectiveness of the Implementation of the Vision 2030 Healthcare Strategy in Improving Health Services in Rural Saudi Arabia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Bruce Chater, Dr Bushra Nasir
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Doctor Philosophy
Growing the Rural Medical Workforce Pipeline
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
What factors influence the use and satisfaction with hospital services of residents in Queensland's regions?
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
The association of major depressive disorders with chronic disease among Indigenous Australians
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Srinivas Kondalsamy Chennakesavan, Dr Bushra Nasir
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Doctor Philosophy
EPoC-CARE - Effectiveness of Point of Care CRP Assays in Rural Environments
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Bruce Chater, Associate Professor Srinivas Kondalsamy Chennakesavan, Dr Bushra Nasir
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Doctor Philosophy
Referral patterns, disease progression and impact of the Kidney Failure Risk Equation (KFRE) in a Queensland chronic kidney disease Registry (CKD.QLD) cohort
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Srinivas Kondalsamy Chennakesavan
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Master Philosophy
Interprofessional collaboration in Radiography: Do we need to re-invent the wheel?
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
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