Georgia Board for Physician Workforce, graduate medical education exit survey summary brief: 2010 graduates - January 2011 [Jan. 2011]

Georgia Board for Physician Workforce Graduate Medical Education Exit Survey Summary Brief:
Are New Physicians Staying in Georgia to Practice After Completing Residency Training? Is the Location of Medical School or High School a Predictor of Practice Location? What are the Most Common Reasons Why New Physicians Leave? Do Those Who Stay in Georgia Practice in Close Proximity to Their Training Site? Are More Physicians Going Into Sub-Specialties?

Summary Brief 2010 Graduates January 2011

Survey of GME Graduates Completing Training in Georgia in 2010
The Georgia Board for Physician Workforce (GBPW) conducts an annual survey of physicians completing their final year of residency training in Georgia. The purpose of this survey is to inform the medical education community and state physician workforce planners about the experiences of graduates and the demand for new physicians in Georgia. This GME Exit Survey Brief highlights results from 2010, as well as trends over the last five years.
Are new physicians staying in Georgia to practice after completing residency training?

Overall, 56% of respondents with confirmed practice plans, who completed training during the period July 1, 2009 June 30, 2010, reported plans to practice in Georgia. As shown in the chart on the left, this represented a 3% increase from 2009's retention rate of 53%. During the last five years, an average of 53% of respondents reported confirmed plans to remain in the state.

Total GME Graduates Reporting Confirmed Practice Plans to Remain in Georgia
2006-2010

100 90 80 70 60 50% 50 40 30 20 10 0
2006

46%

59%

2007 2008

53% 2009

56% 2010

GME Graduates Who Attended Medical School in Georgia Reporting Confirmed Plans to Remain in
Georgia, 2006-2010

100 90 80 70 60 50 38% 40 30 20 10 0
2006

32% 2007

34% 2008

32% 2009

32% 2010

Percentage Percentage

Is the location of medical school or high school a predictor of practice location?
The graph shown above on the right illustrates the percentage of respondents with confirmed plans to practice in Georgia for those who attended a Georgia medical school. Overall, the rate was approximately 33% during the five year period 2006-2010. The rate has remained fairly consistent over the last four years.
Graduates that attended high school in Georgia appear likely to practice in Georgia. In 2010, 85% of those graduates with confirmed practice plans, who attended high school in Georgia, are staying in Georgia to practice and 15% are leaving the state. Of those graduates who attended a high school out of state, 46% are staying in Georgia and 54% are leaving the state to practice. Fifty two percent of graduates who attended high school in another country are staying in Georgia, 46% have plans to practice in another state, and 2% are leaving the country.

Georgia Board for Physician Workforce 1718 Peachtree St., N.W., Suite 683, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, (404) 206-5420 www.gbpw.georgia.gov Cherri Tucker, Executive Director. Kelly McNamara, Carla Graves, Colette Caldwell, and G.E. Alan Dever, M.D., Ph.D., contributors.

GME Exit Survey Summary Brief 2010 Graduates

Page 2

What are the most common reasons why new physicians leave?
The top reasons for leaving Georgia included: proximity to family; better jobs in desired locations outside of Georgia; better salary offered outside of Georgia; and never intended to practice in Georgia.

Do those who stay in Georgia practice in close proximity to their training site?
Nearly 76% of respondents remaining in the state reported plans to practice within a 60 mile radius of their residency program location. Residency training lasts a minimum of three years. During this time, residents not only treat patients, but they also establish ties in the local community.

GME Graduates Reporting Confirmed Practice Plans in
GA, by Proximity to Training Location, 2010
(N=139)
* Percentages were rounded to the nearest whole number.

60%

57%

40% 20%

19%

25%

0%

Sam e

Sam e Region Other Area in

City/County of as Residency Georgia (More

Re s ide ncy

Training

than 60 Miles

Training

(Within a 60 from Training

Mile Radius)

Site )

The graph shows that for 2010, 57% of the respondents staying in Georgia are practicing in the same city/county of their residency training. Additionally, 19% of respondents reported plans to practice in the same region as residency training. These rates illustrate the contribution residency programs make to Georgia's supply and distribution of physicians.

Are more physicians going into sub-specialties?

Graduates were asked to indicate what their primary activity would be following completion of residency training. The rate of respondents going on for additional subspecialty training remained fairly consistent from 2006-2007. The rate dropped 3% between 2007 and 2008. Then between 2008 and 2009, the rate of respondents pursuing sub-specialty training rose by 11% (from 19% in 2008 to 30% in 2009) without any change in 2010 (30%).

GME Respondents Reporting Sub-Specialty Training as Primary Activity Upon Completion of Current Training 2006-2010
60%

40% 20%

21%

22%

19%

30% 30%

0% 2006

2007

2008

2009

2010