Which medical schools produce rural physicians? A 15-year update.
OBJECTIVE
Despite continued federal and state efforts to increase the number of physicians in rural areas, disparities between the supply of rural and urban physicians persist. The authors examined the training of the rural physician workforce in the United States.


METHODS
Using a national cross-sectional analysis of the 2005 American Medical Association and American Osteopathic Association Masterfile physician data, the authors examined a 10-year cohort of clinically active MD and DO physicians who graduated from medical school between 1988 and 1997.


RESULTS
Eleven percent (20,037) of the physician cohort were currently practicing in a rural location in 2005. Eighteen percent (2,045) of osteopathic medical school graduates were currently practicing in a rural location. Twenty-three percent (6,282) of family physician graduates practiced in rural areas. Women continue to be less likely than men to practice in rural areas, although the gap is narrowing. Rural residency trainees were over three times more likely to practice in rural areas (RR = 3.4, P < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
The proportion and number of physicians entering rural practice has remained stable compared with earlier analyses. However, recent trends such as declining primary care interest are not yet reflected in these data and may portend worsening shortages of rural physicians.
Chen
Frederick
F
Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195-4982, USA. fchen@u.washington.edu
Fordyce
Meredith
M
Andes
Steve
S
Hart
L Gary
LG
D002321:Career Choice; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006280:Health Workforce / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D010820:Physicians / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D011365:Professional Practice Location / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States