The effect of a rural family practice preceptorship on medical students' residency selection.
OBJECTIVE
We suspected our senior medical student rural family practice preceptorship was a positive influence on students' selection of family practice as a specialty.


METHODS
A five-year study of 598 students' specialty choices before and after their preceptorship was done and compared to eventual residency choice.


RESULTS
Of these students, 565 (94.5%) appeared to be uninfluenced by the preceptorship. Of the 33 students who reported a change in residency choice after completing the rural preceptorship, 15 (2.5%) chose a family practice residency.


CONCLUSIONS
The rural preceptorship was found to have a positive influence on students' choice of family practice residency positions.
Paulman
P M
PM
Department of Family Practice, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha 68198-3075.
Davidson-Stroh
L
L
D002321:Career Choice; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D011231:Preceptorship; D012423:Rural Health