Contribution of FP to Rural Areas

The rural grads here located in towns of less than 25,000 not adjacent to a metro area. About 65% of the rural fp docs in towns of less than 25,000 locate in towns of less than 10,000.

Year Graduated Total FP Grads % Rural Grads Total Rural FP Docs Years in Rural Practice Rural years (millions)
1969 3 0.35 1.05 8 8.4
1970 35 0.35 12.25 8 98
1971 42 0.35 14.7 8 117.6
1972 110 0.35 38.5 8 308
1973 183 0.35 64.05 8 512.4
1974 331.0 0.35 115.85 8 926.8
1975 586.0 0.35 205.1 8 1640.8
1976 847.0 0.35 296.45 8 2371.6
1977 1155 0.35 404.25 8 3234
1978 1477 0.35 516.95 8 4135.6
1979 1749 0.32 559.68 7 3917.76
1980 1862 0.31 577.22 7 4040.54
1981 2045 0.31 633.95 7 4437.65
1982 2154 0.31 667.74 7 4674.18
1983 2167 0.31 671.77 7 4702.39
1984 2258 0.31 699.98 7 4899.86
1985 2403 0.3 720.9 7 5046.3
1986 2370 0.3 711 6 4266
1987 2467 0.29 715.43 6 4292.58
1988 2396 0.27 646.92 6 3881.52
1989 2395 0.25 598.75 6 3592.5
1990 2457 0.23 565.11 6 3390.66
1991 2379 0.22 523.38 6 3140.28
1992 2392 0.22 526.24 6 3157.44
1993 2377 0.22 535.26 6 3211.56
1994 2433 0.22 568.7 6 3412.2
1995 2585 0.22 637.12 6 3822.72
1996 2896 0.22 722.48 6 4334.88
1997 3284 0.22 754.6 6 4527.6
1998 3430 0.22 796.18 5 3980.9
1999 3619 0.22 802.78 4 3211.12
2000 3649 0.22 788.26 3 2364.78
2001 3583 0.22 736.34 2 1472.68
2002 3347 0.22 704 1 704
2003 3200 0.22 704 0 0
  70666   18236.94   101,835.3

The contribution of FP grads choosing rural locations since 1985 is over 102 billion dollars in economic impact to rural areas.

Family Practice residencies have graduated 18237 physicians directly into rural practice

Family Practice graduates have also chosen rural practice as their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th choice of practice in later career moves with perhaps 40% or 28000 serving in rural practice for some amount of time.

Additional contributions in rural economics and health services have been made by faculty and residents during training, with even more in more recent years with the implementation of rural rotations and rural training tracks.

Rural Docs in Practice

FP and GP docs had 199 million of 822 million physician visits in the year 2000. About half of these involved 20 main diagnostic categories. General internists had 126 million visits and general pediatrics had 104 million. Less than 10% of IM, OB, and Peds docs locate in rural areas. About 30% of FP docs are in rural areas.

Contribution of Family Medicine to Underserved Practices

Rural Docs in Nebraska

The Role of the Rural Community and Practitioner

UNMC Department of Family Medicine contributions

Family Medicine Teaching

Economics Medical Education and Rural Health