Recruitment of Residents to Rural Programs: Early Outcomes From Cohort 1 of the Rural Residency Planning and...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Rural Health Workforce Development
• Physician Recruitment Strategies

Background:

• Addressing rural physician shortages is critical for healthcare access.
• The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) initiated Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) awards in 2019.
• These awards aim to establish new rural residency programs in high-demand specialties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the initial resident recruitment success of the RRPD grants program.
• To provide insights into the applicant pool and fill rates for new rural residency programs.
• To assess the geographic origin of recruited residents.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was administered to program directors/administrators of 25 RRPD-funded rural residency programs.
• Descriptive analyses were conducted on applicant and Match data from 2022 and 2023.
• Data included applications per position, fill rates via Match and Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), and in-state recruitment.

Main Results:

• Most RRPD programs (64%) were expansion tracks of urban programs.
• Programs reported a median of 14.8 interviews per available resident position.
• High fill rates were observed: 74.1% in 2022 and 77.6% in 2023 via the main Match, with most remaining positions filled through SOAP.
• An average of 34.4% of residents were from the program's home state.

Conclusions:

• The RRPD model demonstrates sufficient early resident recruitment success.
• These outcomes support the continuation and expansion of rural physician training initiatives.
• The findings highlight the viability of developing new residency programs in rural settings to bolster the physician workforce.