Critical Factors for Designing Programs to Increase the Supply and Retention of Rural Primary Care Physicians

Abstract

Medical educators and policy makers can have the greatest impact on the supply and retention of rural primary care physicians by developing programs to increase the number of medical school matriculants with background and career plans that make them most likely to pursue these career goals. Curricular experiences and other factors can further increase these outcomes, especially by supporting those already likely to become rural primary care physicians.

Increasing the Supply of Women Physicians in Rural Areas: Outcomes of a Medical School Rural Program

“…A previous study of earlier PSAP graduates (1978PSAP graduates ( -1993 found that PSAP women were equally likely to practice rural primary care as men. 11 In a letter concerning 1986 to 1995 graduates from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, similar percentages of men and women graduates were reported as practicing in rural areas. 27 Taken with these data, the current study provides support that medical school rural programs can substantially increase the likelihood of women practicing in rural areas.…”

Retention of doctors in rural health services in Thailand: impact of a national collaborative approach

“…Educational strategies such as targeted recruitment policy to enrol students with rural background, early exposure to rural healthcare services and locating medical schools and training facilities outside the capital and major cities might help increase the likelihood of medical graduates choosing to work and remain in rural areas [6][7][8][9]18,19 . Students' rural background has been reported to be an independent predictor of rural primary care practice and retention 9,20 .…”

“…Students' rural background has been reported to be an independent predictor of rural primary care practice and retention 9,20 . It has been emphasised that doctors should be produced in real health service systems with enhancing community-oriented competencies such as teamwork skills and being a change agent 20, 21 .…”

“…An adequate supply of doctors is needed to ensure access to affordable and quality health care as well as favourable health outcomes In addition to strategies to increase the production of doctors for rural areas, efforts and measures to improve retention of medical doctors in most needed and underserved areas are necessary 6 . This may be done through various educational strategies, ranging from rural recruitment policy to early exposure to rural healthcare services [6][7][8][9] . Furthermore, factors that address living and working environment as well as opportunities for personal and professional development are among key successful postgraduation factors for enhanced doctor retention 3,6 , particularly in remote areas where doctors are less likely to continue working in the long run.…”

An Accelerated Rural Training Program

“…Rabinowitz and others 10 have noted that rural recruitment is a product of admissions (rural background and family practice interest). Rural reten-tion is believed by Pathman 11 and other rural medical educators to be related to training in medical school and residency.…”