The influence of regional basic science campuses on medical students' choice of specialty and practice location: a historical cohort study.

Background: Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) employs eight regional basic science campuses, where half of the students complete their first two years of medical school. The other half complete all four years at the main campus in Indianapolis. The authors tested the hypothesis that training at regional campuses influences IUSM students to pursue primary care careers near the regional campuses they attended.

Influence of hometown on family physicians' choice to practice in rural settings.

Objective: This study examines the influence of a physician's hometown location on the choice of practice location, adjusting for confounding variables.

Methods: Medical school records for 2,487 Indiana University graduates (classes of 1988--1997) were matched to the American Medical Association's Masterfile data to identify the graduates' current practice locations and specialties. Urban influence codes were assigned to each county in Indiana for the purposes of defining metro or nonmetro locations.