Factors affecting the match rate of rural training tracks in family practice.
OBJECTIVE
Rural training track (RTT) family practice residencies are designed to prepare family physicians for rural practice. Residents in these programs spend 1 year in an urban location, followed by 2 years in a rural setting. Anecdotally, one hears that some programs have problems filling their available positions for residents. No published studies have systematically evaluated this fill rate. This study determined the match rate of rural track family practice residencies and examined factors associated with higher rates.


METHODS
Questionnaires were mailed to program directors of all 28 rural track residencies identified in 1998 by the Residency Review Committee for Family Practice. Five programs proved ineligible, and 22 of the 23 eligible programs responded (96%). Directors provided information on fill rates and program characteristics from 1996 through 1998. Programs' reported fill rates were compared to rates previously reported for family practice residencies as a whole. Descriptive statistics were used to compare rural track programs that did and did not fill through and after the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) (the "Match "). We also report data recently updated to reassess the situation for the 2001 Match.


RESULTS
Rural track residency programs offered 52 first-year positions in 1998. All positions were offered through the NRMP. From 1996 through 1998, programs had a mean Match rate of 61%, compared with a rate of 86% reported previously for all family practice residencies. RTT programs in more-desirable communities (as determined by location near a listing in Fortune Magazine's "Best Places to Live") and those in the western and northeastern United States filled more positions than programs in less-desirable locations and in the southern and central United States. There were no other differences in the characteristics of programs or their faculty between programs that filled their positions and those that did not. These same trends held true for the 2001 Match.


CONCLUSIONS
In recent years, rural track residencies were less likely to match their first-year positions than other family practice residencies. Geographic and community characteristics seemed to influence the Match rate, whereas characteristics of programs and their faculty did not.
Malaty
Wail
W
Family Practice Rural Training Track, Mountain Area Health Education Center, Hendersonville, NC, USA. wail.malaty@pardee-med.org
Pathman
Donald E
DE
D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States