title: Physician importation--a solution to developing countries' rural health care problems?
abstract: Developing countries almost universally suffer from severe health service shortages, particularly in rural areas. Manpower problems are the most critical aspect of the shortages. Iran has recently begun a massive program to increase physician supply in its rural areas by importation of physicians from India, Pakistan, and the Philippines. The present study investigated two questions: What  are physicians' reasons for accepting a post in a rural area of another country, and what are the attitudes of residents in such rural areas toward foreign physicians? Results of a questionnaire survey of foreign physicians indicate that the most common reasons for physician acceptance of the posts were higher salaries and the desire to go eventually to a Western country. Results of an interview survey of Iranian consumers indicate that residents of rural areas were far more likely to prefer Iranian auxiliaries than non-Iranian physicians.
mesh_terms: D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003469:Culture; D003906:Developing Countries; D005550:Foreign Medical Graduates / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D007492:Iran; D010154:Pakistan / Q000208:ethnology; D010679:Philippines / Q000208:ethnology; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012423:Rural Health; D000078329:Workforce