RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Can prior places of residence listed on a medical school application predict where a physician will practice in midcareer? METHOD: Geographic data were analyzed for a cohort of 399 graduates from a single U.S. medical school. RESULTS: Applicants with origins in the local region had a 40.4% to 49.5% probability of practicing locally in midcareer--an increased likelihood of 6.1 to 7.3 (P < .001) by bivariate analysis. In a logistic regression analysis, residence at birth (odds ratio [OR] = 2.6, P = .019) and at college graduation (OR = 2.8, P = .001) were significant predictors of midcareer practice location, but residence at high school graduation and on application to medical school were not. CONCLUSIONS: Midcareer practice location is related to geographic origins. Using multiple indicators of geographic origins available at the time of application can allow admissions committees to make higher-quality decisions.
