Internal medicine physician job satisfaction in rural Montana and Northern Wyoming- a qualitative analysis

Background: Shortage of physicians in rural areas within the USA is an ongoing issue. There are limited data about why internal medicine physicians (‘internists’) practice in rural areas throughout the USA. We explored reasons why internists chose rural practice locations in Montana and Northern Wyoming, and reasons for overall job satisfaction in these areas. Methods: We used the phenomenological method of qualitative analysis for the study. The principal investigator (RR) conducted and voice recorded 17 semi-structured interviews, throughout Montana and two counties in Northern Wyoming. The voice recordings were transcribed and analyzed according to thematic analysis. Results: Four main themes emerged, outlining why internists chose to practice in rural areas, and why internists reported overall job satisfaction. The main reason internists reported for choosing rural practices was a rural background or the appeal of rural lifestyle. Reasons reported for overall job satisfaction by internists in rural areas included wide breadth of practice, flexibility of rural practice model and the work environment and administrative support for practice. Conclusion: Despite shortages of health care providers in rural areas, a number of internists show ongoing commitment to practicing in these areas. Hopefully, our study will help rural practices, hospitals and residency programs in Montana and Northern Wyoming with future hiring decisions.