Beyond financial incentives: a quantitative study on spatial stigma and Puerto Rican physician migration to the United States.

ABSTRACT: Puerto Rico faces a significant health crisis due to the mass migration of physicians to the United States, exacerbating the challenge of achieving the World Health Organisation's recommended physician-to-population ratio. While economic factors such as higher salaries in the US have been identified as primary drivers, the complexity of this migration wave requires a deeper exploration. This study quantitatively examines the role of push factors, pull factors, and spatial stigmatisation in physician migration from Puerto Rico. Using data from a randomly selected sample of 550 physicians (255 who had migrated to the US and 295 who lived in Puerto Rico), we analyse how perceptions of Puerto Rico's image and reputation, combined with stigmatisation linked to practicing medicine on the Island,

SUBMITTER: Varas-Diaz N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11921220 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature