Challenges and Best Practices for Implementing Rurally Targeted Admissions in U.S. Medical Schools

Student attributes can predict future rural practice, but little is known about how medical schools use these factors in admissions. This mixed-methods study examined admissions strategies to recruit and select students likely to practice rurally. Admissions personnel at U.S. allopathic and osteopat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of health care for the poor and underserved 2020-11, Vol.31 (5), p.320-331
Main Authors: Schmitz, David F, Evans, David V, Andrilla, C. Holly A, Jopson, Andrew D, Longenecker, Randall L, Patterson, Davis G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Admissions policies
Articulation
Best practice
Biomedical materials
Careers
Censuses
Colleges & universities
Employees
Health disparities
Interviews
Leadership
Medical schools
Medical screening
Mixed methods research
Osteopathic medicine
Personnel
Polls & surveys
Private schools
Public schools
Questionnaires
Rural areas
Schools
Students
Success
Workforce
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Summary:Student attributes can predict future rural practice, but little is known about how medical schools use these factors in admissions. This mixed-methods study examined admissions strategies to recruit and select students likely to practice rurally. Admissions personnel at U.S. allopathic and osteopathic medical schools were surveyed about rurally targeted admissions. Personnel from selected schools were interviewed to understand further targeted admissions practices. Among 185 medical schools, 133 (71.8%) responded. Schools engaged with students from four-year universities through career exploration (89.9%), admissions preparation (57.7%), academic enhancement (47.7%), and articulation agreements (42.9%). Applicant selection practices included preferential scoring in screening (38.2%) and admissions decisions (30.0%), modified MCAT (21.4%) and GPA cutoffs (18.8%), and reserved class slots (20.2%). Personnel from 10 schools identified key themes of motivations, resources, challenges, and recommendations. Understanding how schools identify and admit rurally inclined students is a first step in identifying best practices for addressing rural workforce gaps.
ISSN:1049-2089
1548-6869
1548-6869
DOI:10.1353/hpu.2020.0156