Physicians in service to the underserved

PURPOSE: To determine how many osteopathic medical graduates (DOs) of the Western University of Health Sciences were practicing in underserved communities. METHOD: Practice address information was available for 765 of the 850 practicing DO alumni who had graduated from the University from 1982 through 1995. Alumni were categorized as practicing in underserved areas or not, following federally established guidelines; they were also categorized by gender, ethnicity, and medical specialty. RESULTS: Overall, 20.9% of these 765 alumni were practicing in underserved communities. The percentages of alumni practicing in underserved communities by gender, ethnicity, and specialty were: men, 20.9%; women, 21.0%; Caucasians, 20.5%; Asian Americans, 18.0%; African Americans, 25.0%; Hispanic Americans, 32.1%; Native Americans, 33.3%; primary care physicians, 20.9%; and non-primary care physicians, 20.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately one in five practicing DO alumni of Western University was practicing in an underserved area. Examining these data by sex, ethnicity, and practice specialization suggested only weak associations between subgroup membership and practice in an underserved area.