A gender-based study of attitudes and practice characteristics of rural physicians in West Virginia

Physician gender can affect the numbers of future rural health care providers since female physicians are less likely to enter rural practice, but the proportion of female U.S. medical students is increasing. This survey study of rural West Virginia physicians who were trained in the U.S. obtained information on demographics and prior practice intent, working time, practice characteristics, and satisfaction with practice and community for female vs. male physicians. Female physicians were more likely to report pre-existing intent to work in underserved areas and having higher proportions of Medicaid and uninsured patients, but fewer work hours and on-call services and less likelihood of providing hospital services. Initiatives to help address the shortage of rural providers could include residency program and community initiatives to address work flexibility and personal and spouse concerns for female physicians.