Factors That Influence Physicians to Practice in Rural Locations: A Review and Commentary

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2009

Abstract

Rural populations remain underserved by physicians, despite various efforts by medical schools and other institutions/organizations to correct this disparity. We examined the literature on factors that influence rural practice location decisions by physicians to determine what opportunities exist along the entire educational pipeline to entice physicians to, and retain them in, rural areas. Results reported in the literature favor a multidisciplinary or multi-faceted approach that results in more residents and physicians locating their practices in rural areas. The need to define proven strategies is not the pressing issue; rather, the needs are to define the commitments necessary to implement proven strategies, as well as the will to make physician distribution a priority issue in medical education.

Publication Title

The Journal of Rural Health

Volume

25

Issue

3

First Page

276

Last Page

281

PubMed ID

19566613

Comments

This article was published in Journal of Rural Health, Volume 25, Issue 3, Summer 2009, Pages 276-81.

The published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-0361.2009.00230.x

Copyright © 2009 National Rural Health Association

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