Answering funding preferences for medical school graduates in underserved areas

We describe here a feasible and data-based approach for obtaining important information about the percentage of our medical school graduates who primarily provide health care to the medically underserved. The logic and data used in our methodology have been acceptable to funding agencies. After making the initial investment in developing this approach, we can execute it at low cost to respond to relevant inquiries about the practice activities of our graduates. Other programs that can produce a computerized listing of post-residency graduates' practice locations can follow the procedure outlined above to demonstrate qualification for funding preferences.