Medical education and the rural health crisis: a personal perspective from experiences in five states.

While there is good evidence that decisions regarding practice site are influenced by experience in medical school and residency, medical education constitutes only one of a complex set of factors that have made it difficult to recruit physicians to rural America. A solution to the rural health crisis will require not only changes in student selection, curriculum, and training location, but also strengthening of the rural economy, improved reimbursement to rural hospitals and primary care physicians, and increased sensitivity by leaders of the medical profession to the needs of rural areas and rural practitioners.