Location patterns of recent physician settlers in rural America

Abstract

The location patterns of young physicians who settled in the most rural communities of America between 1973 and 1976 are analyzed. The majority of these recent rural settlers were primary care practitioners. They tended to be the alumni of state university medical schools in states with large rural populations. Foreign medical graduates were heavily represented. The principal finding—a tendency toward further concentration of rural physicians within existing medical communities—suggests that those rural communities with the greatest needs may remain underserved without the assistance of organized external programs.