Rural practice. Preference, perception, and reality

Area of Science:

• Medical Sociology
• Rural Health Policy
• Physician Workforce Studies

Background:

• Geographic maldistribution of physicians is a persistent issue in the United States.
• Existing research often defines "rural" variably, lacking physician perspectives.
• Physician perceptions and preferences for rural practice remain under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To qualitatively investigate physicians' perceptions of rurality.
• To assess the alignment between perceived rurality and common definitions.
• To evaluate physicians' preferences for rural practice and its association with perceived practice location.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive study utilizing a mailed questionnaire.
• Targeted graduates of a Family Medicine residency program.
• Assessed perception and preference regarding rural practice settings.

Main Results:

• Agreement on rurality definitions was highest for "nonurban population center of less than 25,000."
• 44.7% of respondents preferring rural practice perceived their site as urban.
• Physicians identified <25,000 nonurban population as the rural-urban threshold.

Conclusions:

• Physician perceptions of rurality do not always align with standard definitions.
• Significant barriers exist for physicians who prefer rural practice but perceive their setting as urban.
• Eliminating identified barriers may enhance rural physician recruitment and retention.