Predictive factors for medical students and housemen to work in rural health institutions in Zimbabwe

Abstract

A survey was conducted among medical students and housemen in order to identify factors associated with the choice of future practice in Zimbabwe. A total of 150 medical students and housemen participated in the study. The medical students and housemen were 6.5 (95 pc CI 1.6-26.6), 4.0 (95 pc CI 1.3-12.8) and 3.2 (95 pc CI 1.1-9.4) more likely to work in an urban than rural area for at least three years because of the prestige in the community, standard of living and salary, respectively. Further studies should be done to test whether raising the prestige in the community, standard of living and salary in rural areas would attract more physicians to work in rural health institutions in Zimbabwe