Rural practice and retention in New Zealand: an examination of New Zealand-trained and foreign-trained doctors.

In this paper we examine the problems New Zealand faces with regards the identified shortage and uneven distribution of medical practitioners across urban and rural areas. In particular, we examine the extent to which the origin of training and location of practice affect the mobility of medical practitioners over the period 2000-2008. We find that foreign-trained doctors have a greater propensity to practice in minor urban and rural areas, and in less affluent communities, than New Zealand (domestic)-trained doctors. We also find that mobility among doctors is becoming more pronounced in recent years, with doctors generally being more mobile, with movement out of rural areas and doctors leaving practice in New Zealand being areas of particular concern.