RURAL DOCTOR RECRUITMENT - DOES MEDICAL-EDUCATION IN RURAL DISTRICTS RECRUIT DOCTORS TO RURAL-AREAS

The impact of the University of Tromso Medical School on the distribut ion of doctors in rural areas in northern Norway was evaluated by a po stal questionnaire. The survey covered 11 graduation years (417 doctor s), and the response rate was 84.2%. The establishment of a new medica l school in northern Norway has clearly had beneficial effects: a tota l of 56.1% of the graduates stay in these remote areas. Of those who a lso spent their youth in northern Norway the proportion is 82.0%, comp ared to graduates who lived in the southern parts of the country while growing up (37.7%). The results clearly demonstrate that one of the m ain goals for the Medical School at the University in Tromso, to educa te doctors who prefer to work in these rural areas, has been accomplis hed.