The reliance of doctors upon the community within a major US city has recently been established after it had been a long known fact that residents of this community are constantly in need of doctors. In truth, making the community desirable and conducive for working and living is an essential goal when it comes to hiring. In order to attract new doctors, better opportunities such as education, housing, socio-cultural growth and freedom will be available to them and the community must be open to their needs and their families' as well.

A hospital in need of physicians chiefly prioritizes recruitment of physicians from their staff, administration and board of trustees. To ensure the most successful form of recruitment, hospitals have come to understand that it requires community effort. Careful observation and study have revealed what areas of health care delivery still need to be improved, and the recruitment process will continue until these needs have been taken care of.

One of the biggest concerns in rural areas in the US is the drought of manpower in the medical and wellness field. A federal publication has recently established that these rural areas are considered to be medically marginalized. This has developed a point-rating system for each community, which includes categories such as the population percentage on lowest poverty bracket, percentage of individuals beyond the age of 65, rate of newborn deaths, and lastly, the fraction of primary care doctors against every thousand of the citizens.

Primary care physicians only include pediatricians, ob-gynecologists, internists and family medicine specialists. It is a must to determine what services will be needed through a consensus between the medical staff and board of trustees upon establishing this. At present, some hospitals are making the recruitment of additional physicians in obstetrics gynecology top priority. Additional physicians in the family medicine and emergency room practices are also needed.

Recruiting medical specialists involve a complex process of showing that these physicians have the best of what both the hospital and the community have to offer. Placing advertisements in renowned medical journals that has a wide range of professional audiences throughout the country is the first step in recruitment. Letters are written to the medical schools in the area in the hope of luring interested medical school graduates or residents. Colleagues of local doctors are constantly phoned and any member of the community who are known to undertake further studies in medicine are requested to stay in touch.

Once the doctor expresses interest, he will be asked to come over and tour around the town. He is introduced to the staff and toured around the hospital and is asked to stay overnight after a scrumptious meal. The introductions only take place in the hospital, but there are times when the healthcare staff throw parties in their own homes to make the potential new physicians feel welcome.

He will be toured on the existing support services in the hospital like the radiology and pathology laboratory, as well as their efforts in obtaining equipments needed to encourage a new medical field. The orienting staff will also inform him of the available program to help him continue his studies, as well as the assistance they will extend so he can find a good insurance package as well as a good office space.

Going beyond the realm of hospital-related benefits are something the doctor recruiters must undertake. Doctors and their spouses are advised to bring in their children after meeting the principal of the school they will transfer to so that the children can be able to adjust in their new environment.

The doctor will also be introduced to the local bankers who can give advice on loan and mortgage opportunities as well as home brokers who will assist them on their housing concerns. The hospital staff and the board of trustees however, can only go so far. Even if they have led the potential physician to a good start, they still rely on the community's support by acting as resource persons amenable to answering inquiries the potential recruits might have.