Robert C. Bowman, M.D.
The highest rates of choice of FP in the nation involve osteopathic schools, particularly public osteopathic schools that have any kind of rural population. West Virginia, Texas, and Oklahoma particularly have high rates of FP choice, approaching 50% (or perhaps higher if all osteopathic data was known).
Much of the impact of osteopathic schools has to do with older medical school graduates
Older Medical Student Career Choices
Medical Students Over 29 Years
Private osteopathic schools have great numbers, but not the same as those with instate admissions at public osteopathic.
See Impact of Instate Medical Students and FP Choice
If state legislatures chose to harness the instate potential by supporting osteopathic schools, there would be many benefits for some states. Some states such as Oklahoma and West Virginia already enjoy the benefits of more FP docs from osteopathic public schools. West Virginia's 3 schools all rank in the top 20 in the world for US rural physician percentage
Rural Physicians in the US by Medical School of Origin
Another method of improving the potential of osteopathic, would be branch public schools in states without enough family physicians, set up by osteopathic schools in other states. Some states and schools have made these compacts.
Residency programs that are osteopathic or dual accredited could also choose the accelerated model to boost FP and rural. Short and Sweet on Accelerated Family Medicine Training Programs
High tuition osteopathic schools also tend to have high rates of Military FP choice, resulting in students with the greatest potential for long term rural family practice choosing military. White, osteopathic, rural born, lower income, family, married Military support is the number one source of osteopathic tuition, according to Annual AOA reports. Military Family Physicians. Many of these would likely be long term rural family medicine physicians.
The nation may be losing as many as 80 - 100 of the 200 military FP docs by not leveling the financial support options. Military family physicians can come from any group, however those most needed by the nation for rural areas, those who are most likely to choose and stay in rural areas, should have better options and support.