The regional medical campus model and rural family medicine practice in British Columbia: a retrospective longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Regional medical campuses have been implemented across North America to address gaps in the physician workforce. We report findings from a study that examined the association between a combined model of regional medical campuses and students' decision to enter rural family medicine practice.

Methods: In 2004, the University of British Columbia added 2 regional medical campuses, 1 in a large population centre in a rural and coastal context and 1 in a medium-sized population centre in an isolated northern and rural context. Data were extracted from the University of British Columbia's Medical Education Database. Multivariable logistic regression examined the relationship of age, sex, rural background and campus location to students' choice of rural family medicine practice.

Results: There was an association between campus location and choice of family medicine versus other specialties. A rural background (odds ratio [OR] 2.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-6.21) and training at either of the 2 regional medical campuses (OR 3.24, 95% CI 1.19-8.83 and OR 5.38, 95% CI 2.24-12.91) predicted rural family practice.

Interpretation: Choosing to practise family medicine in a rural location was associated with having a rural background and having trained at a regional medical campus. These early results suggest that a combined regional campus model in medical education contributes to the rural family practice workforce.