A desire to help the elderly lured Dr. Arden Aylor to practice primary care in the area. For two years, he has served the local community, most recently with the Talladega Primary and Urgent Care Center, owned by Regional Medical Center.

But though Aylor has enjoyed the work, it has not been easy.

“I like it — I’ve got a passion for senior citizens,” Aylor said. “The problem is you can’t see people fast enough.”

Aylor is not the only rural primary care physician facing a growing demand for his services.

According to a new report in the June edition of the journal Academic Medicine, fewer U.S. medical students are choosing to enter primary care — about 25 percent — and of those only 4.8 percent practiced in rural areas. Read the full article here.