THE EFFECT OF A MEDICAL-SCHOOLS ADMISSION AND CURRICULUM POLICIES ON INCREASING THE NUMBER PHYSICIANS IN PRIMARY-CARE SPECIALTIES

Purpose. The Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, which is affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA Sc hool of Medicine, has a mission to increase the number of physicians p ursuing careers in primary care and/or providing care to the underserv ed. The authors sought to determine whether Drew's initial classes are pursuing career paths consistent with the institution's mission. Meth od. In June 1992 the alumni from the Drew and UCLA classes of 1985 thr ough 1987 were mailed questionnaires to ascertain their specialty choi ces and practice settings. Responses were analyzed using bivariate ana lyses and multiple logistic regression. Results. The response rates we re 89% (402 of 454) for the UCLA graduates and 76% (44 of 58) for the Drew graduates. Bivariate analyses showed that Hispanics, women, older individuals, and Drew graduates were more likely ro choose primary ca re specialties (p < .001 for each variable). Multiple logistic regress ion also showed that these variables predicted primary care career cho ice: for being a Hispanic, odds ratio (OR) = 3.2, 95% CI (1.66, 6.35); for being a woman, OR = 1.9, 95% CI (1.28, 2.97); for being older, OR = .92, 95% CI (.86, .99); and for being a Drew graduate, OR = 2.4, 95 % CI (1.09, 5.27). Older graduates practiced in underserved areas more than did younger ones (26% vs 13%, p = .03). Conclusion. To some degr ee, Drew has fulfilled its mission of graduating physicians who are pr imary care specialists and/or practice in underserved areas; however, the results raise questions regarding possible early influences on car eer choice.