What is life like for Rural Family Physician?

[YankeesfanZF5]

Hello SDN,

Medical student here who is from an extremely rural state in the midwest who is extremely interested in rural practice. I am wondering about the pros and cons to rural FP? I'd like to be in a community of <10,000, have the potential for what I have heard called is "full scope FM" (scopes, OB, inpatient, urgent care, minor surgical procedures, being involved heavily in the community, making those close relationships in that community) Any advice or resources would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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[simpler2]

I recommend training with goal of proficiency that is broad with the plan to narrow focus later in training to tailor for the community that you are looking to work in. Remain open to training in skills and areas that address the need of your community that may be different from your initial areas of clinical interest. Maybe you really want to be able to perform sections but your community has 2 covering OBs with no psychiatry for 300 miles; spending most of your elective training learning sections may not be in yours or your communities interest compared to becoming more comfortable with complex psychiatric management.
I personally feel that scopes, sections, and appys are something that FP programs and students/residents sometimes "prize" but don't think that the training is necessary/useful in MOST practice locations.

 

[SLC]

I recommend training with goal of proficiency that is broad with the plan to narrow focus later in training to tailor for the community that you are looking to work in. Remain open to training in skills and areas that address the need of your community that may be different from your initial areas of clinical interest. Maybe you really want to be able to perform sections but your community has 2 covering OBs with no psychiatry for 300 miles; spending most of your elective training learning sections may not be in yours or your communities interest compared to becoming more comfortable with complex psychiatric management.
I personally feel that scopes, sections, and appys are something that FP programs and students/residents sometimes "prize" but don't think that the training is necessary/useful in MOST practice locations.

Agree, my practice town is about 6k people; I do inpatient, women’s health, psych as areas of focus. Partner is big in EM. We have an OBGyn and 2 FMOB docs in our county and they don’t seem interested in dealing anyone in to their call schedule and the OB service at the hospital isn’t busy. We have a general surgeon in the county that does all the scopes.

I think broad as possible spectrum, and definitely plenty of mental health exposure are a must.

Scopes and surgeries are carrots to recruit residents, but I don’t think they’re things most FM docs will use in practice in all but the most austere locations.

Plus, more time spent on these types of procedures means less time to be a well trained generalist.

 

[FrustratedFamDoc]

I think broad as possible spectrum, and definitely plenty of mental health exposure are a must.

This. All. Day.