We were pleased to see the recent article “Matching 25% of Medical Students into Family Medicine by 2030: Realistic or Beyond Our Reach?”1 We think this goal is realistic. If we want to make the 25 by 2030 a reality, it is important for medical schools to examine their application and acceptance processes.
The University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) Targeted Rural and Underserved Track (TRUST) program has a separate admissions process from the rest of UWSOM. TRUST graduates match into family medicine (FM) at a rate of 25%.2 We further found that students who applied to and participated in the program, as well as students who applied to and were not accepted into the program all matched in FM at the same rate. Implementing a selection process for students who have rural ties, have a stated interest in FM,3 and who state they do not have an interest in specialty or academic medicine could go a long way to meeting the 25 x 2030 goal.
We acknowledge the challenges identified by Dr David et al. Health care coverage, physician payment, and the overall health system is often misaligned with the core values of FM. We can, however, admit applicants with strong stated interest in FM and rural ties and support their interests during medical school with creative curricula and top-notch faculty and staff to achieve the 25 x 2030 goal. The health care system needs improvement, but so do medical school admissions processes. Medical schools can take action today to meet the health care needs of the public.
