he health and well-being of individuals in rural areas are in part dependent on access to health care resources. 1 Yet the availability of health care professionals, including physicians, is an ongoing issue for rural communities internationally 2-4 and across Canada. 1,5,6 Approximately 20% of Canada's population live in rural and remote Canada, 7 defined as the population living outside the commuting zone of larger urban centres. 8 Shortages of health care professionals, facilities and services make access difficult for many rural Canadians. 1,5,6 Several studies have underscored current and projected insufficient physician coverage of rural areas. [9][10][11] Recruitment and retention strategies for rural areas may promote health care accessibility. 12 Although there is limited research in the area, physician job satisfaction, rural background, and workload have been found to be related to physician retention. [13][14][15] Community factors or characteristics have been examined to an even lesser extent. 2,16 Thus, despite the importance of this labour force issue for rural health, there is little conclusive evidence about retention factors and, in particular, information about community factors that influence physician retention.

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