Rural retention of doctors graduating from the rural medical education project to increase rural doctors in Thailand: a cohort study

摘要

BackgroundIn Thailand, the inequitable distribution of doctors between rural and urban areas has a major impact on access to care for those living in rural communities. The rural medical education programme ‘Collaborative Project to Increase Rural Doctors (CPIRD)’ was implemented in 1994 with the aim of attracting and retaining rural doctors. This study examined the impact of CPIRD in relation to doctor retention in rural areas and public health service.