What Moves Physicians to Work in Rural Areas? An In-depth Examination of Physician Rural Practice Reasons and Determinants

Abstract

This study contributes to the current understanding of what drives physicians to practice in rural areas by analyzing new, comprehensive survey data of practicing physicians in the United States. This research confirmed that rural origin is an important and reliable predictor for rural practice and revealed that new and experienced physicians have different priorities in location choice. Physicians choosing rural practice locations are more likely to be motivated by compensation, resemblance of the environment to the one they grew up in, patient needs, and pre-negotiated service obligations or visa/immigration status, and less likely to attribute their location choice to social network proximity. These findings have important implications for salary incentives and policy initiatives aimed at increasing the rural physician workforce. The results of this study will help decrypt the difficulties rural areas face in attracting and retaining medical and other professionals, as well as inform policy development.

Keywords: Physicians, rural health, rural practice, location choice reason

JEL Classification: J2, J6