The New Zealand medical journal
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This article identifies published reports of medical undergraduate rural programmes from international medical schools and investigates the features making these programmes successful in recruiting and retaining rural physicians. ⋯ The effectiveness of a medical undergraduate rural programme in preparing and recruiting physicians for rural practice does not occur with one isolated strategy but with a chronological sequence of interventions. The most effective programmes consider both pre-medical school and medical school educational factors. Medical schools would need to implement a combination of these strategies when designing a programme to maximise success.