An evaluation of the Rural Medical Education Program of the State University Of New York Upstate Medical University, 1990-2003.

Purpose: The Rural Medical Education Program (RMED) of the State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University is a 36-week clinical experience in rural communities for medical students that began in 1989. The authors sought to assess RMED's success in providing a valuable educational experience for students that assists rural communities recruit physicians.

Method: In 2004, the authors used the Physician Masterfiles of the American Medical Association to compare practice locations of SUNY Upstate graduates who completed RMED with those who did not; surveyed former RMED students to assess their satisfaction with their practice location and the importance of RMED in helping them choose a location; interviewed hospital administrators in communities that have hosted RMED students to understand the impact of RMED on host communities; and compared United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 scores of RMED students with those of non-RMED students to evaluate educational attainment.

Results: A greater percentage of former RMED students practiced in rural locations [22/86 (26%)] than did non-RMED students [95/1,307 (7%)]. Ninety-one percent (69/76) of former RMED students were satisfied with their location, and 84% (64/76) believed that RMED was important in helping them choose a location. Hospital administrators viewed the program highly because it helped them recruit physicians and benefitted their medical staff. RMED students had higher adjusted mean Step 2 scores than did non-RMED students (212.3 versus 199.1).

Conclusion: The RMED program has successfully met its goals of providing a valuable educational experience for medical students and assisting rural communities recruit physicians.