Increasing the Rural Physician Workforce: A Potential Role for Small Rural Medical School Campuses

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Rural Health
• Physician Workforce Distribution

Background:

• Physician maldistribution is a significant challenge, prompting medical schools to develop rural-focused training programs.
• The optimal structure and duration of rural immersion experiences remain unclear.
• Differentiating the impact of rural upbringing versus rural training on practice choice is complex.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a dedicated rural clinical campus on medical student practice location choices.
• To analyze the association of rural upbringing, demographics, and residency choice with rural practice.
• To determine if a rural clinical campus enhances rural practice selection beyond established factors.

Main Methods:

• A multivariate model analyzed graduates from 2001-2008 from urban and rural campuses.
• Key variables included rural upbringing, demographics, family medicine residency, and rural campus participation.
• Graduates' practice site choices were the primary outcome measure.

Main Results:

• Rural upbringing (OR=2.67) and family medicine residency (OR=5.08) were significantly associated with rural practice choice.
• Two years of participation in the rural clinical campus showed the strongest association (OR=5.46), even after controlling for other factors.
• All associations were statistically significant (P < .001); no other variables were significant.

Conclusions:

• Investing in rural clinical campuses may increase rural practice selection beyond existing predictors.
• The decision for practice site selection is multifactorial.
• Collaborative studies are needed to assess various rural exposure models, including clinical campuses.