Surgical Care in Rural and Underserved Populations: A Multivariable Analysis of Attending Surgeons and Residents

Learning Objectives:

• Summarize the disparities in rural surgical workforce distribution and their impact on patient access to timely surgical care.
• Differentiate between demographic, geographic, and socioeconomic factors that influence rural surgical practice trends.
• Analyze how changes in training pathways and residency program structures affect the long-term rural surgical workforce pipeline.
• Evaluate the implications of declining rural surgical coverage on emergency general surgery (EGS) access and rural hospital sustainability