Career Outcomes Among Graduates of 2 Urban Health Primary Care Training Programs

Background In response to the ongoing primary care physician shortage and high attrition in primary care residency tracks, a large urban hospital unveiled the urban health (UH) internal medicine primary care track (IM PCT) and the combined internal medicine-pediatrics (MP) residency program 15 years ago. The 2 UH programs share a mission to create leaders in primary care who care for underserved populations in urban settings. Objective To evaluate whether the careers of graduates from the UH IM PCT and MP residency program align with the programs' 4-part mission: training physicians who (1) practice primary care; (2) practice in urban settings; (3) care for underserved populations; and (4) serve in leadership roles. Methods We developed a 10-minute, 38-item multiple choice and short-answer survey to evaluate the demographics, practice characteristics, and professional involvement of graduates from the UH IM PCT or MP programs between 2014 and 2021. We calculated the proportion of respondents whose careers align with the programs' 4-part mission. Chi-square tests compared demographics and career characteristics by graduation cohort (2014-2017 vs 2018-2021) and program (IM vs MP). Survey creation, data collection, and data analysis occurred between 2022 and 2024. Results Fifty-seven of 63 (91%) surveyed graduates responded. Seventy-nine percent (45 of 57) currently practice primary care; 86% (49 of 57) work in urban settings; 77% (44 of 57) care for primarily underserved populations; and 67% (38 of 57) have leadership roles. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that most graduates from the UH residency programs pursue careers aligned with the program's mission, with many practicing urban health primary care and taking on leadership roles.