In the picturesque setting of Grenada, Dr. Benjamin Balin embarked on his medical journey at St. George’s University, far removed from his Pennsylvania roots. This experience in a Caribbean nation, heavily reliant on tourism, provided him with firsthand exposure to managing healthcare in underserved regions.
Reflecting on his time there, Balin shared, “Although it’s not necessarily rural, because the hospital is located in one of their cities, it is absolutely underserved, just because of the nature of the economy there.” His exposure to such conditions inspired him to pursue a rural residency, now in his second year at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Wellsboro, under UPMC’s rural residency initiative.
Rural Residency Initiative by UPMC
Launched in 2019, UPMC’s rural residency program has entered its second year. Spearheaded by Dr. John Boll, the program annually accepts two residents who commence their training at UPMC Williamsport and later transition to UPMC Wellsboro or UPMC Cole in Potter County for the final two years.
Boll explained, “The reason that we actually have limited our rural program to two per year is because … we’re training in an area of scarcity, and so one of the problems is, if you actually inundate a community with too many trainers or trainees, that you actually end up decreasing the quality of your education.” The initiative’s primary aim is to address the declining rural healthcare workforce, with only 10% of Pennsylvania’s physicians serving 20% of its rural population.
Currently, Tioga County has 50 primary care physicians per 100,000 people. Boll emphasized the importance of increasing these numbers, citing a direct correlation between the number of primary care doctors and life expectancy.
Despite being in its early stages, the program is already attracting significant interest. Boll recounted, “When we initially opened up our applications that first year, it was in 2023, I thought we would have maybe a couple dozen applications come through. We had actually over 440 applications for those two spots.”
Integration into the Community
Research indicates that 56% of family physicians remain within 100 miles of their residency location, highlighting the program’s potential to retain doctors in rural areas. UPMC facilitates community integration by providing housing for residents, alleviating a common issue in rural training environments.
Balin, who joined UPMC Wellsboro in July, appreciates the sense of community, noting, “Some of the really interesting things, or kind of bonuses about being in the rural community is because the population is small, you’re more likely to know everybody.” The housing support also provides financial relief, especially given the significant debt many medical students incur. “It’s really effective to not have to have that housing cost,” Balin added.
Despite the program’s infancy, Boll is optimistic about its potential to cultivate a new generation of rural healthcare providers, addressing both current shortages and future needs.
