Determining the Relationship between Socioeconomic Backgrounds of Matriculants and their Environment of Medical Practice beyond Graduation

Background Information:  As the population increases and communities become more diverse, there is an intense need for training more primary care physicians.  The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between students’ socioeconomic background and their likelihood to practice medicine in an environmentally disadvantaged area. These students from disadvantaged backgrounds were highly motivated to improve the health and health care of minority and underserved communities.

Methodology: The sample is selected from a frame of 394 matriculants from 2006 through 2009 which later became 326 graduates of 2010 through 2013. The geographical system (GIS) was used to select the variables (median household income, population density, etc) within the census tract; the variables are linked with the medical school graduate’s parents or guardians home address. Cluster analysis is used to group the medical students in a category similar to their environmental backgrounds. The 95% C.I. for median household income for cluster groups are: $124,000 for cluster 3, $77,000 for cluster 2, $38,000 for cluster 1. The accuracy of the classification results will be validated using discriminate analysis; the predictive validity of the cluster analysis will be established based on partial least squares regression.  

Results: More than 80% of cluster 3, 60% of cluster 2, and 45% of cluster 1 practice medicine in disadvantaged communities. 

Conclusion: Over 80% of graduates from disadvantaged populaces practice in disadvantaged areas which significantly contributes to the mission of Meharry, the primary physician care shortage, the research hypothesis, and at large, the reduction of health disparities.