Where to live and work? Examining the influence of job and community characteristics on post-graduation plans among Physician Assistant students

Physician Assistants can play a key role in addressing the healthcare provider shortage experienced in many rural communities today, as they provide high quality and cost-effective care. Yet, over the past two decades, there... [ view full abstract ]

Physician Assistants can play a key role in addressing the healthcare provider shortage experienced in many rural communities today, as they provide high quality and cost-effective care. Yet, over the past two decades, there has been a decline in the number of PAs that are choosing to practice in rural areas.

One avenue for recruiting PAs to work in rural regions is to encourage rural residents to go to PA school.  This intervention is based on the assumption that upon obtaining their degree, individuals from rural communities will return to their hometowns. That said, many rural youth do not return to their hometowns after leaving for college, a phenomenon referred to as the rural brain drain (Sherman and Sage 2011).  There are many factors that influence where college students will locate after graduation.  While job availability is a key factor, research suggests that variables such as community and place attachment and place identity may also impact location preference among rural youth (Eacott & Sonn 2006; Demi & McLaughlin 2009).

Informed by sociological research on community attachment and rural outmigration, this project explores post-graduation plans among current PA students.  A survey project among current PA students at a small university in the Midwest was started in the spring of 2016. Questionnaires measuring community attachment, socio-demographic variables, and post-graduation plans were administered to three classes of PA students in different stages of their education.   This presentation will include findings from three rounds of data collection that occurred between May 2016 and November 2017.  Preliminary analysis suggests that community attachment significantly predicts desire to return to one’s hometown.  Additionally, community characteristics may be more important than job characteristics in determining where PA students desire to live and work.  Results of the survey and implications for the recruitment and retention of healthcare providers in rural communities will be presented.