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Rural areas nationwide have fewer physicians, but doctors in these areas don't necessarily earn less than their urban counterparts. In fact, they may earn as much or even more, according to the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC). Twelve thousand physicians participated in HSC's 2000-2001 Community Tracking Study Physician Survey. James Reschovsky, PhD, senior health researcher at the HSC, and his colleague Andrea B. Staiti analyzed the physicians' responses and inflated the results to 2003 levels using the Medical Group Management Association Physician Compensation and Production Survey compensation growth rate.