The movement and location patterns of recent medical school graduates is analyzed within the context of overall demographic, social and economic changes occurring within the U.S. Special emphasis is given to the role of medical training institutions and State financing policies of medical schools. Estimates are provided of the number of physicians locating in a state as a result of a unilateral increase in that State's public medical school graduates. The author concludes that physician movements are similar in many ways to the overall white male migration within the U.S. The analysis of the biographic history of eleven years of medical school graduates showed that the relationship between place of practice and certain institutional factors is more complex than is commonly believed. A quantitative model is generated to test theories about factors affecting physician migration. This model is then used to estimate the effect of alternative State and national policies to effect physician migration. A bibliography is included. (Author)