Robert C. Bowman, M.D. No funding was obtained from any source regarding this study.
The six osteopathic public schools created from 1972 to 1978 consistently lead the nation in percentages of family physicians, primary care physicians, rural physicians, retention in the same state as their medical school, and underserved locations. Osteopathic public schools gave opportunities to a broad range of instate students who have returned the favor by staying within the state at the highest levels and distributing sustained health care, economics, and leadership to the highest need areas of the state. The impact of government funding is also seen in the state funded Duluth program, the newer allopathic medical schools (federal Quillen programs involving Veterans Hospitals and primary care emphasis), the comprehensive statewide efforts at Iowa and Arkansas, and the multi-state plus statewide efforts at the University of Washington and the U of North Dakota.
The successes of these schools should have lower and middle income and rural peoples asking why there are so few? Others should ask why any other type of school is allowed to expand. Any school can graduate subspecialists, but only a few can distribute physicians where they are most needed. Schools that cost less and do more appear to be a best buy.
|
1987 - 1999 Graduates |
State |
Total |
FPGP |
Retained Instate |
Rural |
Rank |
Under-served |
Rank |
|
Allopathic Private |
|
75286 |
9.0% |
29.0% |
7.4% |
8 |
5.0% |
8 |
|
Allopathic Public |
|
128341 |
16.0% |
47.1% |
13.0% |
3 |
7.3% |
6 |
|
Osteopathic Private |
|
16201 |
33.8% |
33.4% |
17.6% |
2 |
8.5% |
3 |
|
Osteopathic Public |
|
6335 |
35.1% |
55.5% |
22.7% |
1 |
12.7% |
1 |
|
North American |
|
9786 |
17.1% |
|
7.7% |
7 |
8.8% |
2 |
|
Distant International |
|
53209 |
7.8% |
|
9.0% |
6 |
7.9% |
4 |
|
Caribbean 3 with US |
|
5098 |
19.0% |
|
11.4% |
4 |
7.9% |
5 |
|
Graduates in 2005 locations |
|
294256 |
14.2% |
|
11.1% |
5 |
7.1% |
7 |
|
1987 - 1999 Graduates |
State |
Total |
FPGP |
Retained Instate |
Rural |
Rank |
Under-served |
Rank |
|
U MN Duluth |
MN |
283 |
52.5% |
60% |
33.3% |
3 |
5.0% |
92 |
|
Kirksville Osteopathic |
MO |
1669 |
43.0% |
13% |
29.6% |
5 |
11.6% |
24 |
|
West Virginia Osteopathic |
WV |
761 |
42.1% |
31% |
39.1% |
1 |
24.3% |
1 |
|
U North Texas Osteopathic |
TX |
1209 |
41.6% |
63% |
19.8% |
23 |
15.3% |
10 |
|
Western Osteopathic |
CA |
1578 |
41.1% |
46% |
14.4% |
48 |
10.8% |
27 |
|
Oklahoma St U Osteopathic |
OK |
920 |
36.3% |
51% |
27.3% |
7 |
18.2% |
5 |
|
Kansas City Osteopathic MO |
MO |
1802 |
35.8% |
15% |
23.5% |
14 |
11.9% |
20 |
|
Ohio U Osteopathic |
OH |
1177 |
35.4% |
60% |
22.2% |
15 |
7.5% |
47 |
|
Des Moines Osteopathic |
IA |
2302 |
35.2% |
14% |
21.9% |
17 |
8.8% |
35 |
|
U New England Osteopathic |
ME |
959 |
33.8% |
18% |
19.1% |
28 |
6.0% |
73 |
|
Michigan St Osteopathic |
MI |
1528 |
32.0% |
64% |
18.9% |
30 |
6.8% |
58 |
|
Nova SE Osteopathic |
FL |
1380 |
31.3% |
50% |
12.1% |
63 |
11.7% |
21 |
|
Philadelphia Osteopathic |
PA |
2715 |
30.9% |
47% |
14.9% |
46 |
5.6% |
80 |
|
UMDNJ Osteopathic |
NJ |
736 |
28.3% |
50% |
11.1% |
72 |
7.2% |
50 |
|
Midwest Osteopathic |
IL |
1555 |
31.1% |
36% |
14.2% |
49 |
5.9% |
77 |
|
Mercer |
GA |
483 |
30.2% |
67% |
35.9% |
2 |
22.0% |
3 |
|
U South Dakota |
SD |
619 |
29.9% |
39% |
33.0% |
4 |
5.4% |
87 |
|
U North Dakota |
ND |
683 |
28.3% |
31% |
25.8% |
9 |
6.9% |
56 |
|
Wright State |
OH |
1123 |
28.2% |
49% |
17.3% |
35 |
7.0% |
55 |
|
Oral Roberts (closed) |
OK |
165 |
27.0% |
8% |
19.6% |
24 |
13.0% |
12 |
|
New York Osteopathic |
NY |
2017 |
26.0% |
54% |
9.1% |
88 |
g4.9% |
93 |
|
Iowa |
IA |
2117 |
25.9% |
32% |
18.2% |
32 |
5.6% |
82 |
|
Arkansas |
AR |
1656 |
25.5% |
58% |
26.8% |
8 |
11.5% |
25 |
|
U Washington |
WA |
2055 |
25.3% |
47% |
17.5% |
34 |
8.1% |
44 |
|
Brody East Carolina |
NC |
875 |
24.8% |
56% |
24.0% |
13 |
12.1% |
17 |
Others available by request
FPGP physicians were used because the AMA Masterfile classifies many osteopathic trained family physicians as general practitioners. Rural areas were not urban codes in the RUCA 1.1 listing and were not the ".1" codes indicating 30% or more commuting to urban areas for work. Underserved areas were zip codes with 20% of more in poverty or zip codes shared with a whole county shortage area, a Community Health Center, or a National Health Service Corps site. For definitions and physician distribution table in the US see Major Medical Centers