Urban underserved program: an analysis of factors affecting practice outcomes

Abstract

Background and objectives: Fewer medical students are choosing to work in primary care, and it is difficult to recruit and retain physicians to work in underserved communities. Positive exposures with underserved communities are known to increase a physician's likelihood of practicing in an underserved area. While a number of medical school programs are designed to address the rural physician workforce shortage, there are fewer medical school programs designed to specifically recruit and retain physicians to work in urban underserved areas. This article describes a multifaceted, longitudinal medical school curriculum at Jefferson Medical College known as the Urban Underserved Program (UUP) and a survey administered to UUP graduates exploring the association between program participation and practice outcomes.

Methods: A mixed methods analysis of an online survey was administered to UUP graduates.

Results: Results indicated that 75% of UUP graduates work in urban areas, 75% in an underserved or physician shortage area, and 61% in a primary care capacity. Additionally, results indicate that the UUP supports and encourages medical students to work with urban underserved populations by increasing knowledge of health disparities and empathy for underserved populations.

Conclusions: Urban underserved communities have greater health disparities and less access to health care, and programs that promote and prepare students to enter practice in these communities can potentially impact the health of these populations.