The 114 physicians working for the Navajo Area Indian Health Service (IHS) in June 1976 were surveyed to determine what attracted and retained physicians to the Navajo area. Of the 114 questionnaires mailed, 90 were returned. Designed to obtain data on the physician's background, choice of location, and satisfaction with both community and work conditions, the questionnaire items were subjected to factor analysis. Data indicated that the physicians were generally young and married, had recently completed their internship and/or residency, were from small families of high socioeconomic status in an urban environment, were from all regions of the U.S. (particularly east of the Mississippi), and had little experience in rural areas (particularly in the Southwest). The strongest single motivator to locate and work in the area seemed to be altruism, followed by the attractiveness of the Navajo Nation and the Southwest. The area of most satisfaction was the physician-patient relationship. Also satisfying were the community and social activities, the professional role offered by IHS and the opportunity for career advancement, and the leisure opportunities and life style. Of greatest dissatisfaction were the hospitals' staffing, and the general hospital facilities and technology. Physicians who planned to stay were older, from a mixed experience with a slight tendency toward a lower socioeconomic background (based on their father's education). (NQ)