A new rural family medicine residency will prepare KansasCOM students to serve rural communities.
Across Kansas, rural communities face widening gaps in health care access, with physician shortages leaving many residents without consistent primary care. A new Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant awarded to Kansas Health Science University will help launch a rural family medicine residency program designed to address these challenges, giving Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (KansasCOM) student doctors the training and support to serve underserved populations.
Why is it important to invest in rural family medicine residency programs now?
The challenges are as apparent on the ground as they are from 30,000 feet. According to a 2021 report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the United States faces a projected shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians within 12 years, including a primary care physician shortage of 17,800 to 48,000. The state of Kansas is among those facing the greatest shortfall, currently ranked 40th in the nation for its number of active physicians per capita, with 69 counties identified as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in primary care. The state’s rural communities have long been underserved, with 60% of the state’s counties designated as HPSAs.
How do rural residency programs influence where physicians ultimately practice?
As plain as the need for health care professionals in rural areas is, the first steps toward a solution may be equally clear. “There’s a substantial body of well-established findings in graduate medical education suggesting that rural residency programs significantly increase the likelihood that physicians choose to practice in rural areas,” says Lori McMann, director of academic affairs at KansasCOM, citing a 2018 study that 48% of residents who received more than half of their training in rural areas were working in rural communities. This data strongly suggests that a rural residency in Kansas could directly lead to rural health care access and provide underserved communities with health care.
How is this program designed to address specific health care needs in Kansas?
Through the rural residency program’s classroom and clinical curriculum, faculty members and residents will partner with local organizations to address social determinants of health, including providing resources for transportation, nutrition, and mental health to enhance overall well-being,” McMann says.
According to state data, heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death in rural counties, at significantly higher rates than urban counties. Additionally, rural communities also see higher rates of mortality from suicide as well as accidents, including car crashes. A 2021 primary care needs assessment identified significant challenges in primary care access for rural Kansans, with OB/GYN services, cardiology, and family practice being among the most needed services for community members and health care providers.
Limited access to specialty services, the distance people need to travel to receive services, and limited clinic hours are all barriers to care. The cost of health care also prevents many rural residents from accessing services.
What kind of hands-on experiences will family medicine residents gain in rural clinical settings?
KansasCOM student-doctors are already proving that they are prepared for rural family medicine residency and are providing care across the state, while gaining experience in a range of clinical arenas. “Rural training exposes residents to the lifestyle, culture, and clinical environment of rural medicine. This hands-on interaction helps trainees develop confidence and comfort in practicing outside urban centers,” McMann says. “Additionally, rural settings often require a broader scope of practice—minor procedures, emergency care, outpatient surgery, and obstetrics—offering a more generalist and dynamic experience.” This means residents experience a consistent, ongoing involvement with a community, all the way from antenatal visits to chronic disease care.
What new opportunities will this program create for KansasCOM students?
The HRSA grant funding will assist the health care facilities that are hosting KansasCOM residents to update clinical and instructional infrastructure to train the student doctors as they apply lessons learned in medical school to rural training and will provide student doctors with a pathway to an accredited family medicine residency training program sponsored by Kansas Medical Center/ Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine. “By rotating in a rural training program, which includes rural and urban sites, medical students will receive broad exposure to the clinical settings and populations they will encounter in family medicine practice,” McMann says. “Students will gain education and experience addressing the unique needs of rural medicine to determine if rural practice is right for them.”