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Changes In Rural Affinity Among Rural Medical Students As They Experience Education In An Urban Setting, William J. Crump, Craig H. Ziegler, Leslee J. Martin, R. Steve Fricker, M. Ann Shaw, Alllison M. Crump, Susan Sawning

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Abstract

Introduction

The maldistribution of physicians in the United States has led to a shortage of healthcare providers in rural areas and rural patients being underserved. A physician’s connections to rural settings, including upbringing and medical training, often influence the decision to practice in rural areas. This study examines opinions from medical students who participated in a regional rural campus track, which includes summer immersion programs, rural-focused sessions, and clinical rotations. The authors hypothesized that Rural Track students experience urban disruption, and their opinions about rural living and practice would become increasingly less positive over time while students lived at …