Foreign medical graduates and the doctor shortage in New Zealand, 1973-1979.
Following the imposition of greater controls on the immigration of foreign trained doctors in 1979, New Zealand medical graduates have become the most important source of new general practitioners. Data for the whole of New Zealand in 1973 and 1979 reveals that foreign and New Zealand trained general practitioners differed markedly in terms of their types of practice locations, with the former being overrepresented in rural, poorer urban and other areas that experienced doctor shortages in the early 1970's. One implication of such findings is that future research in primary care needs to monitor locational trends in both the availability and cost of services and to develop indicators of the relative surplus or shortage of doctors given the pressing need to deliver an equitable, yet cost effective, allocation of medical services.
Barnett
J R
JR
University of Canterbury, Christchurch.
D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005550:Foreign Medical Graduates / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D009520:New Zealand; D010820:Physicians / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000600:supply & distribution; D011287:Prejudice; D011365:Professional Practice Location