Abstract
Background
There is a growing deficit of rural surgeons, and preparation to meet this need is
inadequate. More research into stratifying factors that specifically influence choice
in rural versus urban practice is needed.
Methods
An institutional review board–approved survey related to factors influencing rural
practice selection and increasing rural recruitment was distributed through the American
College of Surgeons. The results were analyzed descriptively and thematically.
Results
Of 416 respondents (74% male), 287 (69%) had previous rural experience. Of those,
71 (25%) did not choose rural practice; lack of professional or hospital support (30%)
and lifestyle (26%) were the primary reasons. A broad scope of practice was most important
among surgeons (52%), who chose rural practice without any previous rural experience.
Over 60% of urban practitioners agreed that improved lifestyle and financial advantages
would attract them to rural practice. The thematic analysis suggested institutional
support, affiliation with academic institutions, and less focus on subspecialty fellowship
could help increase the number of rural surgeons.
Conclusions
Many factors influence surgeons’ decisions on practice location. Providing appropriate
hospital support in rural areas and promoting specific aspects of rural practice,
including broad scope of practice to those in training could help grow interest in
rural surgery. Strong collaboration with academic institutions for teaching, learning,
and mentoring opportunities for rural surgeons could also lead to higher satisfaction,
security, and potentially higher retention rate. These results provide a foundation
to help focus specific efforts and resources in the recruitment and retention of rural
surgeons.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 15, 2021
Accepted:
January 31,
2021
Received in revised form:
January 28,
2021
Received:
October 14,
2020
Footnotes
Meeting presentation: This work was presented at the Academic Surgical Congress (ASC) annual meeting, Feb 5-7, 2019, Houston, TX.
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
