About 60 million people, or every one in five, live in rural America. Rural medicine also referred to as rural health, offers a more personalized approach to healthcare for patients living in rural America. Most rural communities are close-knit, giving physicians a unique chance to get to know their patients more easily. Rural medicine encompasses many fields, including nursing, midwifery, geography, telemedicine, and telehealth. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at rural medicine, and why you might consider practicing in rural America.
Urban vs. Rural Healthcare
The data shows that people living in rural America have different healthcare needs than those living in urban areas. The differences are due to geographic, social, economic, demographic, and personal health factors. Rural residents tend to be older, poorer, and sicker than urban residents. There typically few job opportunities in rural areas and occupations tend to be physical. Farming, fishing, forestry, and mining are typical industries in rural areas. These professions have a higher health and safety risk due to chemical exposure, use of machinery, and physical labor.
Healthcare Barriers in Rural America
- Lack of Providers – Even though rural America contains 20 percent of the country’s population, very few physicians practice in rural areas. As of January 2019, there were over 7,000 areas in the U.S. with health professional shortages. The majority of the areas were in rural areas.
- Geographic Challenges – Rural residents are tasked with traveling long distances in order to access healthcare. The few healthcare facilities that are available are small and often offer limited services. Geographic distance, lack of public transportation, challenging roads, and extreme weather, all play a role in limiting healthcare access in rural areas.
- Lack of Health Insurance Coverage – Many rural residents, don’t have healthcare coverage. Almost 10% of people living outside urban areas do not have health insurance coverage.
Why Practice Rural Medicine?
Because of the shortage of healthcare facilities and practitioners in rural America, there have been increased efforts to attract healthcare professionals to these isolated locations. At first, thought living in rural America may not sound so appealing, but there are several benefits to practicing rural medicine.
- Rural Medicine Laon Forgiveness – Many rural healthcare facilities are willing to offer incentives that are difficult to find in urban areas. One of the biggest incentives is the large amount of student loan debt relief.
- Higher Pay – Aside from the large signing bonuses, rural physicians get to enjoy higher salaries compared to their urban counterparts. Studies show that the median income for rural doctors is over $200,000, while the median income for urban is nearly $30,000 less.
- More time With Family – Unlike in urban settings, rural physicians are not tied up at work due to long patient queues or hectic traffic jams. Rural physicians get home early and are able to spend more time with family.
- Lower Cost of Living – The cost of living in rural areas is considerably lower than in urban areas. Homes are much more affordable, and you’ll be able to save and invest more of your income to build a solid retirement fund.
