Background: Title VII predoctoral and departmental grants for departments of family medicine are intended to increase the number of family and primary care physicians in the United States and increase the number of practices in rural and underserved communities. This study assessed the relationships of Title VII funding with physicians' choices of practice specialty and location.
Methods: Non-federal direct patient care physicians who graduated from US medical schools from 1981-1993 were identified in the 2000 American Medical Association Masterfile. A grant history file was used to annotate Masterfile records with Title VII funding data for the physicians' 4-year medical school enrollment. Characteristics of the county in which they practice were taken from the Area Resource File. Title VII funding variables were then related to practice specialty and location.
Results: Predoctoral training and departmental development funding were strongly related to attainment of each of the Title VII program objectives evaluated.
Conclusions: Title VII has been successful in achieving its stated goals and legislative intent and has had an important role in addressing US physician workforce policy issues.