A Comparison of Rural and Urban Dermatology

Understanding rural and non-rural populations as recipients of dermatologic care and creating a diverse dermatology work force to serve them is no doubt a formidable challenge with high stakes. As you will see in the coming text, rural populations are aging at an alarming rate, less likely to be racially or ethnically diverse, have lower household median incomes, and are more likely to be uninsured. The dermatology workforce at this time is regrettably, mal positioned to care for all rural patients as dermatologists themselves age, migrate to more urban settings, and are more likely to be employed by larger hospital systems. Not only is the density of general dermatologists unfavorable for rural residents, it is less likely that patients will have access to subspecialists within dermatology, including pediatric dermatologists and dermatologic surgeons. Additionally, diversity within the field represents an area for improvement and the intended utilization of non-physician clinicians to fill gaps in care deserves thoughtful consideration.