The Rural Generalist Pathway for medical students: An antidote to despair

Rural health human resources are in a growing crisis in many areas of the world and are linked to poorer health outcomes for rural dwellers.In rural Canada, vacant physician positions, hospital emergency department closures and reduced primary care access have escalated over the past decade.In most jurisdictions globally, medical education happens in urban settings with urban norms, and despite often mandatory exposure, rural practice is not necessarily considered as distinct.Australia is an exception, where rural medicine is a specialty with specific training pathways and supports.While our northern Canadian medical school has attracted graduating physicians to the urban north, a very small proportion choose to practice as rural generalists, the optimal model of care in this region and in many rural areas globally.The Rural Generalist Pathway at Undergraduate (RGP-U) was launched in 2021 to address this growing rural health care crisis.