[Graduates from Tromsø--do they stay in Northern Norway? Geographic origin determines selection of professional practice location in Northern Norway]

Abstract

The impact of the Medical School, University of Tromsø on the distribution of physicians in rural areas in North Norway was evaluated by means of a mailed questionnaire. The survey covered eleven graduation classes (417 physicians), and the response rate was 84.2%. The establishment of a new medical school in North Norway has clearly had beneficial effects: A total of 56.1% of the graduates stay on as doctors in these areas. Among those who also grew up in the northern parts of Norway, the proportion is 82.0%, compared with graduates who grew up in the southern parts where the proportion is 37.7%. The results clearly demonstrate that one of the main objectives of the Medical School at the University of Tromsø, to educate physicians who prefer to work in these areas, has been achieved.