Careers in Rural Medicine
Careers in health care are expanding. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care is among the fastest growing industries in the country.
They’re expected to grow 27% in the next five years. Not all of those jobs are in the city. There are a number of needs in rural areas that pay well and provide flexibility not always available in the bigger cities.
Demand in the Marketplace
Research indicates that physicians tend to practice near where they received their educations. However, only 7.3% of family medicine residency training takes place in rural areas, where roughly 20% of the U.S. population lives. This has led to a shortage of health care providers in rural areas. Registered nurses comprise nearly half of health care providers in rural areas. Licensed practical nurses are the second-largest group, according to data Concorde published. Rural jobs are increasingly found in the service sector, including health care services.
The Aging Countryside The scope of care is often more limited in rural areas. Providers deliver more general services, and lower reimbursement rates for primary care or general services make it difficult for rural health care practices to remain financially stable. Additionally, transportation and associated costs can be a barrier to accessing care for many rural residents.
Yet, rural populations tend to be older than urban populations. Residents have higher rates of chronic disease and poverty than urban residents. Rural populations are more likely to be underinsured or uninsured. Hospitals and clinics tend to be smaller than in urban areas.
The Benefits of the
Countryside
There are a number of benefits for health care professionals working in a rural setting.
Unlike urban medical centers, where you are just another physician in the rotation, you will connect personally with your patients. In rural hospitals with a limited number of physicians, you get the opportunity to practice with greater autonomy, and you will learn to be a jack of all trades.
“Health care professionals receive incentives, such as bonuses, scholarships or loan forgiveness, to work in these areas after working there so many years,” said Danielle Van der Knaap, graduate employment specialist at Concorde Career College in San Antonio, in college literature.