Retaining physicians educated in Georgia

Georgia Board for Physician Workforce

State of Georgia

Data Brief: January, 2012

Retaining Physicians Educated in Georgia

82.2% of the residents responding

Understanding what goes into a physician's choice as to where to train and practice, can help Georgia maximize the return on their investment. Physicians have

graduated from a Georgia residency

a choice in where they practice, but external factors, such as medical school admissions and the National Resident Matching Program, can influence where a physician ultimately practices.

program in 2011, and went to high school in Georgia,

had confirmed

Data published by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC),

practice plans to

based on data maintained by the American Medical Association (AMA), give evidence that where physicians attend medical school and complete their residency, have influence where physicians practice. The Georgia Board for Physician Workforce (GBPW), through the Medical School Graduate Survey and

stay in Georgia.
14.6% of the 2011 graduates from

Graduate Medical Education Exit Survey, have found that where students gradu- Georgia residency

ated from high school (ie, in state), and proximity to family also influence practice location. Through these surveys, the GBPW, has also documented that Georgia has been quite successful in retaining physicians that complete their residencies in Georgia whether they are from Georgia or another state or country.

programs, who responded, graduated from international medical schools.

Physician Retention Rates by Education Location

Physicians active in the U.S. who did both medical school and residency in GA (Georgia Ranked 19th in the nation)

71.8%

28.2%

Physicians active in the U.S. who completed residency training in GA (Georgia ranked 17th in the nation)

49.0%

51.0%

Physicians active in the U.S. who graduated from medical school in GA (Georgia ranked 13th in the nation)

46.3%

53.7%

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

% Practicing in GA %Practicing Elsewhere

60.0%

80.0% 100.0%

Retaining Physicians Educated in Georgia

The average retention rate based on where physicians completed their residency training was 47.8% in 2010 in the United States. Georgia was above the average rate with 49.0% of its residency graduates practicing in Georgia, and ranking 17th out of 50 when compared to other states.

Of all the physicians in active practice in the United States in 2010: Number who did both medical school and residency training in GA
Number who attended medical school in GA Number who did their residency training in GA

Number of physi- Number Practicing in

cians in the U.S. Georgia

U.S. Rank

4,179 11,545 13,881

3,002

19th

5,343

17th

6,796

13th

New Physician Planned Practice Locations: Results of the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce Graduate Medical Education Exit Survey, 2011

Data Source: 2011 State Physician Workforce Data Book, Center for Workforce Studies, Association of American Medical Colleges, Published November 2011. Physician counts are from the American Medical Association Masterfile as of December 31, 2010. Georgia Board for Physician Workforce, Graduate Medical Education Exit Survey, 2011.
Georgia Board for Physician Workforce 2 Peachtree St., NW., 36th Floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, (404)656-3913 www.gbpw.georgia.gov Cherri Tucker, Executive Director, Colette Jeffery, and G.E. Alan Dever, M.D., Ph.D., contributors.