Evaluation of Gannon-Hahnemann Program to provide family physicians for underserved area

The Gannon-Hahnemann Family Medicine Program is a combined B.S.-M.D. program designed to provide family practitioners to northwest Pennsylvania, a medically underserved area. The first six graduating classes (1981 through 1986) of the combined six-year curriculum contained 81 students. These students completed two years of undergraduate education at Gannon University, Erie, Pennsylvania, and four years at Hahnemann University School of Medicine. The students were required to complete the clinical rotations of their final year of medical school in Erie, and one of the rotations had to be family practice. Of the 81 combined-program graduates, 24 (29.6 percent) initially selected family practice residencies, while only 5.2 percent of the regular admission Hahnemann students selected family practice. Of these 24 graduates, 13 completed family practice residencies, and six of those chose to practice in northwest Pennsylvania. Nine graduates remained in family practice training.