But Longenecker said simply attracting students to rural medical programs is not enough because "there are so many ways the pipeline can leak."
He said a relatively small number of rural students get into medical school in the first place and many who do see medical school as their ticket out of a rural area. Others initially plan to go back but then get their education and do their residency in urban areas and end up meeting a spouse and establishing a life in the city instead.
Kollisch and Longenecker both said they are aware of the draw of living in an urban area and the challenges faced by doctors in rural areas lack of equipment, lack of funding, lower levels of insurance reimbursement, to name a few. But, for them, the benefits of living in a rural area far outweigh the negatives.
"For me, as a rural physician, I can think of no more
rewarding career," Longenecker said. "It's more a 9-to-5 job in an
urban environment, whereas for us, in a rural area, it's a way of life."
- Associated Press
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