Development of a rural training track for Texas

Rural areas in Texas constitute a major portion of the state. Health care access and distribution issues in rural areas are recognized on many levels, from the local community with limited resources or facing the loss of a critical health care professional to the Texas Medical Association and Texas state government. Rural training tracks are one way to provide family medicine residents with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for successful practice in rural areas. Building collaborative relationships between rural physicians and university-based residency programs, as described in this project, may offer one solution to the problem of medically underserved rural communities in Texas.