BACKGROUND: Medical education was established in the University of Tromsø in order to recruit doctors to the northern parts of Norway. Earlier publications have shown that this goal has been reached. We wanted to see whether this has remained unchanged during the last few years (1996-2001). METHOD: Our material is based on information about 318 doctors educated in Tromsø and 851 doctors educated in Oslo between 1996 and 2001. The medical faculties in Tromsø and Oslo provided us with doctors' names and dates of birth. The Norwegian Medical Association assisted with information about each doctor' practice and place of work. RESULTS: Among doctors educated in Tromsø, the numbers going into general practice are decreasing; the majority of graduates prefer hospital work. A decreasing number take up academic work. Most of the students coming from the northern parts of Norway stay in that region upon graduation (75.4%), but the proportion is lower than earlier. Only 7.5% of doctors educated in Oslo choose to work in the northern parts of Norway. INTERPRETATION: The University of Tromsø is still important in recruiting doctors to the northern regions of Norway, primarily because this university educates students who come from these regions.
BACKGROUND: Medical education was established in the University of Tromsø in order to recruit doctors to the northern parts of Norway. Earlier publications have shown that this goal has been reached. We wanted to see whether this has remained unchanged during the last few years (1996-2001). METHOD: Our material is based on information about 318 doctors educated in Tromsø and 851 doctors educated in Oslo between 1996 and 2001. The medical faculties in Tromsø and Oslo provided us with doctors' names and dates of birth. The Norwegian Medical Association assisted with information about each doctor' practice and place of work. RESULTS: Among doctors educated in Tromsø, the numbers going into general practice are decreasing; the majority of graduates prefer hospital work. A decreasing number take up academic work. Most of the students coming from the northern parts of Norway stay in that region upon graduation (75.4%), but the proportion is lower than earlier. Only 7.5% of doctors educated in Oslo choose to work in the northern parts of Norway. INTERPRETATION: The University of Tromsø is still important in recruiting doctors to the northern regions of Norway, primarily because this university educates students who come from these regions.