OBJECTIVES: To gain insight into family medicine residents' attitudes toward relocating to the United States and to examine factors influencing their decisions.DESIGN: Cross-sectional mailed survey.SETTING: University of Toronto family medicine program.PARTICIPANTS: First- and second-year residents in the academic year 1995 to 1996. A 74.6% response rate (144 of 193 residents) was achieved.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intention to relocate to the United States. Degree of importance of 11 motivational factors in residents' decisions to relocate.RESULTS: In this survey, 48% of residents reported they intended to relocate to the United States, but only 17% recalled expecting to relocate before Ontario's introduction of geographic billing restriction legislation. Geographic billing restriction was the motivational factor most residents (86.8%) considered very important in their decision-making process. The two factors potentially predicting US relocation were finance and climate.CONCLUSIONS: Many factors influence family medicine residents' intention to relocate to the United States. Geographic billing restriction was the most significant motivational factor, and its introduction has likely precipitated a marked shift in residents' attitudes favouring US relocation.
Adult Attitude of Health Personnel