The United States is facing an increasing doctor shortage in the near future. But rural medical schools may be the answer, reports InsideHigherEd.com. Over the next nine years, the country will be short as many as 95,000 doctors, the Association of American Medical Colleges predicts. But some areas—particularly rural ones—will be hit harder than others. For example, Massachusetts, has more than 400 physicians per 100,000 people. But Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada and Wyoming all have fewer than 200. It’s hard to attract doctors to rural, underserved areas. The answer may come from recruiting students who are already from those regions.
And the way to do that is to keep them in those areas during medical school. That means approaching local colleges to try and open medical schools.
Students are most likely to stay in a particular location if they completed their training there.