title: Urban underserved program: an analysis of factors affecting practice outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fewer medical students are choosing to work in primary care, and it is difficult to recruit and retain physicians to work in underserved communities. Positive exposures with underserved communities are known to increase a physician's likelihood of practicing in an underserved area. While a number of medical school programs are designed to address the rural physician workforce shortage, there are fewer medical school programs designed to specifically recruit and retain physicians to work in urban underserved areas. This article describes a multifaceted, longitudinal medical school curriculum at Jefferson Medical College known as the Urban Underserved Program (UUP) and a survey administered to UUP graduates exploring the association between program participation and practice outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A mixed methods analysis of an online survey was administered to UUP graduates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicated that 75% of UUP graduates work in urban areas, 75% in an underserved or physician shortage area, and 61% in a primary care capacity. Additionally, results indicate that the UUP supports and encourages medical students to work with urban underserved populations by increasing knowledge of health disparities and empathy for underserved populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Urban underserved communities have greater health disparities and less access to health care, and programs that promote and prepare students to enter practice in these communities can potentially impact the health of these populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University.
authors.forename: Vibin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Katelyn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hurley
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Plumb
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castellan
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McManus
mesh_terms: D002321:Career Choice; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D019037:Urban Health Services; D000078329:Workforce