Published
2018-01-11
Issue
Section
Original Reports
License
All work in JRMC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Effect of Regional Medical Campus Education on Student Pursuit of Primary Care Specialties
Casey P. Collins
University of Washington School of Medicine
John F. McCarthy, MD
University of Washington School of Medicine
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/jrmc.v1i1.1002
Keywords: primary care, regional medical campuses, WWAMI, University of Washington, medical education
Abstract
Purpose
To investigate whether education at a regional medical campus (RMC) affects the likelihood of University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) students choosing a primary care specialty.
Method
Two approaches were taken to answer the study question. First, the percentage of UWSOM students who matched to a primary care residency program between 1996-2016 was compared between two groups of students: those educated at an RMC and those educated at the academic medical center (a non-RMC). Second, physician specialty data was obtained from the AMA Physician Masterfile for UWSOM graduates from 1996-2011. Physicians were again split into RMC and non-RMC groups, and the percentage of primary care physicians was compared between the two groups. This study was completed in 2016.
Results
Among graduates from 1996-2016, 33% (564/1707) of those educated at an RMC were matched to a primary care residency program compared to 39% (787/2003) of students educated at the non-RMC (P < 0.001). Graduates from 1996-2011 had similar likelihoods of becoming a primary care physician regardless of first year education site (37% [395/1078] versus 39% [551/1403], P = 0.18, Figure 2).
Conclusions
The results of this study did not support the hypothesis that the WWAMI RMCs produce more primary care physicians than the non-RMC. A greater percentage of students who attended the non-RMC matched into a primary care residency program compared to the RMC group, while the percentage of students who ultimately chose a primary care specialty was quite similar.
Financial support: Mr. Collins was supported in part for this study by the Smith Family Endowed Chair in Medicine.
Ethical Approval: The University of Washington Institutional Review Board approved the acquisition and analysis of subject data. Application #52065. Approval date 5/24/2016.
