The relationships among geographic origins, externship placement, and post-graduation practice location of University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) 1977-79 pharmacy graduates were studied. The aim was to help select, prepare, and encourage students to locate in underserved communities. It is assumed the data can help decide whether to retain, expand, or eliminate policies that influence practice location after graduation. Variables include: population of community of high school graduation, percentage of pharmaceutical requirements met in the community of high school graduation, population of community of first externship, population of community of second externship, percent of pharmaceutical requirements met in the community of first externship, percent of pharmaceutical requirements met in the community of second externship, sex, and type of first and second externship. The findings show that: (1) students from high schools in small- or medium-size communities and/or high- or medium-need communities are more likely to locate in small- or medium-size, high- or medium-need communities than were students who graduated from high schools in large and/or low-need communities; (2) population and need of the communities in which externships were served generally are associated with location in small or medium-size, high- or medium-need communities; (3) student's sex is not associated with location in communities classified by size or by pharmaceutical need; (4) type of externship is not consistently associated with the decision to locate in high- or medium-need communities (combined); (5) very few students from large and/or low-need communities locate in high-need communities after graduation. In general, it is suggested that if a goal of the UMKC School of Pharmacy is to place sufficient numbers of students in relatively high-need communities, some preference should be given to applicants from small- or medium-size communities, particularly during the first externship. (CC)