[Factors affecting geographic choice in setting up medical office in France]

So far French medical doctors are free in selecting the city where they set up their private office. However, opinion surveys during the period 1974-1999 evidence certain determinants in the matter. Proximity of the family and occupation of spouse are two increasing determinants during the period. The same upward trend is observed as concerns the proximity of a hospital or the contacts which the doctor has had previously with the local population during his post-graduate probation. On the other side, the pleasant character of the city and the opportunity to obtain (or to rent) an office are two decreasing factors. Surprisingly analysis of the potential market of patients remains stable as factor determining the geographic choice of the young doctors. During the last 25 years, more and more young doctors made payment to retiring colleagues to be introduced to the patients of the latter. The practice is legal. Due to manpower surplus, it became increasingly a factor of geographic distribution of young doctors. It will however decrease its weight in the coming years, with the downing turn in the number of new graduates.