New York’s Homegrown Physicians Most Likely to Stay in State, Reports UAlbany Center for Health Workforce Studies

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 29, 2011) --

A report by the University at Albany's Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) finds that New York's "homegrown" physicians are the ones most likely to remain in the state after receiving their medical training here.

The report found that medical residents who attended high school and medical school in New York State are more likely to plan to practice in New York.

According to the report, Retention of New Physicians after Completing Training in New York in 2010, fewer than half of all new physicians stayed to practice in New York after completing training, a percentage which has dropped from 54 percent in 1999 to 44 percent in 2010. Of those physicians who both attended New York high schools and went on to medical school in the state, however, 77 percent said they planned to practice in New York.

"If we wish to address our physician shortage issues in New York by producing physicians in the state, the most effective strategy would be for residency programs to recruit medical residents who have attended high school and medical school in New York – a 'grow our own' strategy," said Gaetano J. Forte, CHWS's director of information management.

Forte co-authored the report with David P. Armstrong, a research associate with the center, and CHWS Director Jean Moore.  CHWS is affiliated with UAlbany's School of Public Health.

Just 54 percent of those who attended medical school in New York but did not attend high school in New York reported plans to practice in New York. The least likely to stay — 26 percent — were international medical graduates who were not U.S. citizens.

The main reason cited (31 percent) for leaving New York after completing training was to be close to family. After that, the most reported reasons were better jobs in desired locations outside New York (12 percent) and better salaries offered outside New York (10 percent).

The most influential recruitment incentive for staying in New York was income guarantees, cited by 44 percent. Next was career development opportunities (27 percent).