# Impact of Conservative Policies on Resident Physician Recruitment to Southern States

## TL;DR

Conservative policies in Southern states may be discouraging medical trainees from choosing residency programs there, worsening existing health and workforce challenges.

## Contribution

This paper highlights the potential impact of conservative policies on residency recruitment in Southern states and emphasizes the need for further study.

## Key findings

- Conservative policy shifts may be affecting how medical trainees view Southern residency programs.
- Restrictive laws risk deterring applicants from prioritizing Southern states for residency.
- There is an urgent need to study the impact on the physician workforce pipeline.

## Abstract

Conservative policy shifts in Southern states may be impacting how medical trainees perceive and evaluate residency programs in the region. These states already face challenges with poor health outcomes and physician shortages, and increasingly restrictive laws risk further deterring applicants from prioritizing Southern residency programs. Recent trends in residency recruitment raise urgent concerns about the physician workforce pipeline and warrant deeper study and continued public discussion.