Introduction: Erudite people immigration and its epidemic form, known as brain drain, is a well-known phenomenon worldwide, especially in he developing world. This form of immigration, when occurs in the health care professionals can damage the health care system of any country. Iran has faced a wave of brain drain in health professionals, as well as other professionals, during the last years. The aim of stuty was to find the inclination to immigration and the related factors among Iranian physicians.

Methods: This is a mail survey conducted on random sample, sized 5482 physicians, from registered physician roster at the Medical Council of Islamic Republic of Iran. The questionnaire included items on inclination toward immigration and the perceived causes of it. The final analysis was based on the 2789 returned questionnaires.

Results: When measured on a scale from zero to 100, the mean inclination toward immigration among Iranian physicians is 53.3 (95% CI: 51.9 – 54.7). This inclination was slightly more in men than in women (54.6 vs. 50.0) and moderately more in single than in married physicians (61.8 vs. 51.0). The most stated reasons for this inclination were low income from medical jobs, low earnings in the face of inflation and high living costs, current discriminations, need for occupational promotion, and relative absence or poor living facilities in Iran. Iranian physicians rated their mean capability for immigration in the same scale as 30.85 (95% CI 30.52 – 31.18). They addressed financial problems, family bounds, and the imposed restrictions in the destination countries as the main obstacles facing with.

Conclusion: More than half of Iranian physicians have more than moderate inclination toward immigration. This is in part due to their financial, occupational, and social problems.

Hakim  Research Journal 2008 8 (3): 9-15.