A statewide survey by CHI asked Colorado’s rural physicians to rate the factors that contributed to their decision to practice medicine in rural Colorado. Lifestyle-related factors topped the list, with recreational and leisure activities (70%) and having a good place to raise children (55%) ranking first and second. These findings illustrate the importance of lifestyle considerations when physicians choose a practice location – and should be considered by recruiters as well.
Currently, the most common recruitment incentives reported by these physicians were financial, such as income guarantees (51%) or relocation benefits (35%). The third most common recruitment incentive was flexible scheduling (31%), which aligns with the importance of lifestyle values.