Osteopathic surgeons are critical for rural access but their numbers are dwindling.

• 18.3% of DO surgeons vs. 9.7% of MD surgeons practice in rural areas.
• DO surgeons have twice the odds of working in rural communities compared to their MD counterparts (OR 2.05).

The trend shows worrying declines in rural practice among newer surgeons, with about half the odds for those trained after 2010.

• Rural areas have only 13.8 surgeons per 100,000 residents, compared to 23.6 in metropolitan areas.