We’ve all been there. That small, one red light town that has a church or a bar on just about every corner; where everyone knows everyone and rumors spread faster than light. In small, country towns, people are used to traveling quite far to reach conveniences like the shopping mall, the grocery store, and even the hospital. Some see this lifestyle as charming and laidback, while others cringe at the thought of living in an isolated, rural area. Getting doctors to live and work in rural areas has long been a challenge here in the United States. For example, almost 25 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, yet only 9 percent of all practicing doctors work in these same locations. With that said, there have been various efforts to address the shortage of physicians. Incentives for doctors who choose a rural healthcare career path range from loan forgiveness to more career advancement opportunities. Why do you want to work in rural areas? Here are the pros and cons.
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Why Do You Want to Work in Rural Areas? Three Benefits
1. Lower your loans
Depending on the state and the hospital, there could be financial benefits available to you if you choose to work in a rural setting. For example, there are loan forgiveness opportunities for doctors who practice in rural areas for a certain amount of time. Let’s face it – as a doctor, you’re probably looking at a significant amount of student debt. Wouldn’t it be nice to see that sum decline a little faster? In addition to loan forgiveness, some hospitals also offer large sign-on bonuses to recruit physicians.
2. Expand your experience
Since there aren’t a lot of physicians available in rural hospitals, this means you’ll likely get your hands into a variety of areas of medicine. You’ll be able to expand your experience as a provider and advance faster in a rural setting.
3. Claim a community
Your patients are your neighbors. In a rural town, you get to claim a community as your own and build meaningful relationships inside and outside of work. Not only will you get to feel that you are a part of something special in a small town, but your knowledge of the population and their struggles will make you a better physician. Plus, small town life can be a lot less stressful than urban living.
Why Do You Want to Work in Rural Areas? Three Challenges
1. Standard of living
The standard of living may be lower than you prefer in a rural setting. For example, if you have children, they might not have access to the same quality of education in a small town as they would in a big city. If you’re single, there will obviously be less to do in a small town, and it can be challenging to meet new people and expand your social circle.
2. Access to technology
You may have less access to technology in a rural hospital than you do in a city hospital. Many small-town hospitals are older and weren’t designed to fit the various technology equipment that is needed for medicine today. This means that for more advanced procedures, patients will likely have to be transferred to a larger healthcare facility. This will limit your ability to learn new technology.
3. Longer work hours
You’ll likely have to work longer hours if you choose a career in a rural setting since there are so few doctors available there. Physician burnout is very common in healthcare, and this can be escalated when working in rural healthcare.
Bonus Video: How You Can Help in Rural America!
Why do you want to work in rural areas? Share with us in the comments below!
