The effect of a rural family practice preceptorship on medical students' residency selection.

OBJECTIVE

We suspected our senior medical student rural family practice preceptorship was a positive influence on students' selection of family practice as a specialty.

METHODS

A five-year study of 598 students' specialty choices before and after their preceptorship was done and compared to eventual residency choice.

RESULTS

Of these students, 565 (94.5%) appeared to be uninfluenced by the preceptorship. Of the 33 students who reported a change in residency choice after completing the rural preceptorship, 15 (2.5%) chose a family practice residency.

CONCLUSIONS

The rural preceptorship was found to have a positive influence on students' choice of family practice residency positions.