The role of distributed education in recruitment and retention of family physicians.

Background: Distributed medical education (DME) programmes, in which training occurs in underserviced areas, have been established as a strategy to increase recruitment and retention of new physicians following graduation to these areas. Little is known about what makes physicians remain in the area in which they train.

Objectives: To explore the factors that contributed to family physician's decisions to practice in an underserviced area following graduation from a DME programme.