Factors affecting decisions on practice locations.

Questionnaires designed to determine the major factors affecting the choice of practice were mailed to 305 graduates of the University of Oklahoma Tulsa Medical College and their spouses. Sixty-eight percent of the physicians responded. The results showed that graduates reared in large communities chose similar-sized communities as practice sites and placed high priority on their spouses' desires. The lack of career opportunities for spouses, especially those with high levels of education, was a critical factor in not selecting small communities as practice sites.