Does exposure to medically underserved areas during training influence eventual choice of practice location?
BACKGROUND
There are an increasing number of communities within the United States that have limited or no access to primary healthcare. In recognition, many medical schools now provide opportunities and activities that offer exposure to these demographic areas in order to increase the presence of and community access to medical care and to promote these locations as practice site choices for graduating students. Evaluation of these enhancements has led to doubts whether this exposure timing is optimal in promoting practice in these settings. The purpose of this study is to identify whether early exposure(s) to medically underserved settings prior to medical school is associated with eventual choice of practice location.


METHODS
Utilising a cross-sectional design, 450 US Family Medicine residency programmes were surveyed. From these, 775 participants responded to a standardised self-administered questionnaire on indicators associated with medically underserved area (MUA) exposure.


RESULTS
Early MUA exposures combined with medical training experiences in underserved settings have a positive effect on later practice site choice. Identification of these attributes may be useful in considering determinants that impact eventual choice of practice location.
Tavernier
Laura A
LA
Department of Family Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA.
Connor
Pamela D
PD
Gates
Diane
D
Wan
Jim Y
JY
D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D012423:Rural Health / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014504:Urban Health / Q000592:standards