Simply attracting family physicians to underserved regions is not enough: they must also stay there. This new CIRANO study examines this issue, using data covering the period from 1975 to 2024. The analyses show substantial disparities across Quebec. In university or peripheral regions, half of physicians will have left their region after 23 years, with that period being 16 years in intermediate regions and only 6 years in remote or isolated regions. Higher fees can encourage longer stays in the regions and make practising there more financially attractive. Rules governing practice locations, also have an effect. The authors call for the initial placement and eventual retention of new physicians in the regions to be considered together, while taking into account practice conditions and physicians’ personal choices.