A primary goal of MEPI is to increase the capacity and retention of doctors in Sub-Saharan Africa. In order to measure the success of MEPI in achieving this goal, MEPI schools must be able to track their graduates. However, medical schools are poorly placed to track physicians after they leave their institutions. Medical schools lack both the resources and the regulatory authority to achieve comprehensive tracking. Therefore, physician tracking systems must exist at a country level. These systems are, perhaps, even more critical for government workforce planning - to inform educational and active health care workforce policies and investments.

Physician tracking systems vary widely between countries, both in level and content of tracking. These inconsistencies produce gaps in information that limit intelligent workforce planning and health systems strengthening. We propose developing a framework for physician tracking, to include both a minimum standard for counting and locating physicians and a menu of system factors required for physician tracking systems. The purpose of this framework is to establish a minimum common methodology for counting physicians with a menu of options for implementation. This framework can act as a resource for countries seeking to develop or improve their physician tracking systems.