VCOM Carolinas Research Day 2023

Educational Reports

The Characterization of Medical Students, Residents, and Fellows to the Physician Workforce in South Carolina Callaham Brock, OMS-II, Kristine Lombardozzi, MD, Heather Bendyk, MBA. VCOM-Carolinas, Spartanburg, SC Co-authorship should be given to collaborators such as a Statistician, who have made intellectual contribution in terms of writing, research design, study implementation, and data analysis and interpretation. Abstract Results Conclusions

Abstract # EDUC-7

Physicians, Residents, and Medical Students have a crucial role to maintaining the health and well-being of the population in the United States. The AAMC State Physician Workforce Data Report is produced every two years that includes specific measures about physicians, residents, and medical students (DO and MD) within each state. Physician supply is measured by specialty, gender, and ethnicity. Undergraduate medical education (UME) students, who are students enrolled in accredited medical schools, and graduate medical education (GME) students, who are residents/fellows enrolled in an accredited ACGME program are measured in enrollment per 100,000 population. Retention is measured in 3 ways including: percentage of physicians retained in state from undergraduate medical education, percentage of physicians retained in state from graduate medical education, and percentage of physicians retained in state from undergraduate and graduate medical education. Each state is compared to other state profiles and ranked numerically in order according to the measure. Over the past decade, there has been little research to study the outcomes and this study aims to characterize the population of medical students, residents, and physicians in South Carolina. The Association of American Medical College’s State Physician Workforce Data Report was used to identify the total population of practicing physicians per 100,000 population between the years 2006-2020 in South Carolina. Total medical students (UME) were obtained from the reports with their respective per 100,000 population, state rank, % change, and % change in state rank. Total Residents/fellows (GME) in ACGME programs were obtained from the reports with their respective per 100,000 population, state rank, % change, and % change in state rank. Retention of Physicians that attended UME in South Carolina were obtained in per 100,000 population and state rank. Retention of Physicians that attended GME in South Carolina were obtained in per 100,000 population and state rank. Retention of Physicians that attended UME and GME in South Carolina were obtained in per 100,000 population and state rank. Ratios of medical students (UME) to physicians and residents (GME) to physicians were calculated using the per 100,000 population value. These values allowed for the characterization of medical students, residents, and physicians to be compared to one another. Methods

Table 1 . Data Extracted from AAMC Physician Workforce Data 2006-2020, along with computed UME and GME to physician ratios.

The overall size of the physician workforce in South Carolina has slightly increased compared to the population over the last decade, but the overall size of the medical student population has significantly increased compared to the population over the last decade, showing a substantial increase in the undergraduate medical student to physician ratio. The size of graduate medical students has remained more stagnant (compared to UME) over the past decade in terms of population and the graduate medical student to physician ratio. South Carolina continues to outperform in retention compared to the majority of states, while underperforming in physician supply compared to the United States median. With the opening of two additional medical schools in South Carolina between 2010 and 2012 (VCOM and USC Greenville), the undergraduate medical student population saw a significant increase, as an attempt to address the physician shortage within the state. While many factors can contribute to the outcomes provided, it remains evident that there is a shortage of physicians existing within the state, potentially due to a stagnant ratio of physicians to graduate medical students. It also remains evident, that other programs, besides increasing medical student and residency spots, is needed to be explored further to address retention of the physician population in South Carolina.

Table 2 . Visual Representation of UME and GME to Physician Populations in South Carolina between 2006 and 2020 .

References

1. 2021, 2019, 2017, 2015, 2013, 2011, 2009, 2007 State Physician Workforce Data Report. :87. 2. Thompson MJ. Characterizing the General Surgery Workforce in Rural America. Arch Surg . 2005;140(1):74. doi:10.1001/archsurg.140.1.74 3. Avery DM, Harrell AG, Wallace JC, et al. How can we increase the number of general and rural surgeons in the united states? A study of 789 graduates from 3 campuses who matched into general surgery over 40 Years: 1974 To 2015. :9.

Analysis: Pearson product moment correlation and linear regression of AAMC Workforce Data of South Carolina between 2006 and 2020. The medical student population and total physicians within the state Pearson product moment correlation r = 0.9561636 Linear Regression r 2 =0.914249 p=0.0002 The graduate medical student population and total physicians within the state Pearson product moment correlation r = 0.9840513198 Linear Regression r 2 =0.968357 p<0.0001 Retention of Physicians from UME / 100,000 by Med Students per 100,000 Pearson product moment correlation r = -0.88248739374 (negative correlation which means as the medical students increase the retention decreased) Linear Regression r 2 =0.778784 p = 0.0037 Retention of Physicians from UME / 100,000 by Total Residents and Fellows per 100,000 Pearson product moment correlation r = -0.9790929476 (negative correlation which means as the total residents and

Acknowledgements

AAMC Workforce Data

fellows increase the retention decreased) Linear Regression r 2 =0.958623 p<0.0001

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