Interest to practise in rural areas was expressed by 9% students.

Rural training of medical students was not found to influence preferred future practice locations rural or urban.

Monetary compensation, diversity of practice and supportive staff were potential motivators.

Medical students with a rural background perceived proximity to their family as a motivator for rural practice.

Impediments to working in rural areas as mentioned by students are perceived lack of learning opportunities, professional stagnation, isolation, dysfunctional referral systems, poorly functioning health facilities, lack of recreation and poor infrastructure in rural areas.

Postgraduate specialisation is the most important factor for career choice.

Motivators for rural practice were to get associated with district people, see cases that do not reach central hospitals, to work for the people from home district, to get management skills of administration of hospital and performing duty as a loyal citizen to the community.

Impediments to rural practice were: huge workload, high expectation from the community, trade-off to administrative work over clinical work, lack of resources, lack of proper housing, poor living conditions, and lack of good opportunities for private practice, lack of equipments and lack of good schools for the children.

Thirty per cent of students expressed interest to practise medicine in rural areas.

Students from a rural background had better odds of medical practice in rural areas.

Twelve per cent of the medical students intended to work in rural areas.

Male students, government secondary school graduates before joining medical school, born in a village, sense of duty to the country and financial incentives for rural careers and scholarship for medical schooling from government were associated with career intentions at a rural place.

High-income family, self-paying private medical school students and feeling of isolation were associated with no intentions of working at rural areas.

Medical students have limited exposure to health facilities in the rural areas.

Prior exposure to the community, community-based education, role of family and friends, career development opportunities, teamwork and friendly environment of co-workers are positive motivators for career choice in rural areas.

Sense of personal safety, workload, communication, transport, family, language, ease of communication with patients, cost of living, benefits, local people culture, opportunity for recreation, school for children, possibility of extra income, equipment, facility infrastructure and continuing education facilities.

Serious impediments for rural factors were insufficient salary, high workload with understaffing, poor hospital management, poor accommodation, lack of equipment, isolation from friends, lack of entertainment and inadequate opportunities for continuing professional development.

Fifty-seven per cent of students are willing to work in rural areas.

Rural practice willingness was seen among men, those who completed high school in rural area, rural living experience and lower socioeconomic class medical students.

Job preference in rural area was strongly associated with improving the equipment and supportive management.

Other factors: shorter contracts, increment in salaries, facilities for children education, transport utility and improving housing were also influential.

Men were more influenced by improved housing while women were more influenced by supportive management.

Interest to work with the rural and remote population was expressed by 65.9% of students in the Philippines, 33.5% of students in Sudan and 62.8% of students in South Africa.

Medical school selection criteria to select students with prior education in rural area expressed intention to serve in rural areas after graduation.

Willingness to work in rural areas was expressed by 17% of government medical school and 9% of private medical school students.

Good housing, high salaries and adequate infrastructure are perceived as factors that attract medical students towards future rural service.

Lack of professional career growth opportunities and opportunities for higher education in rural location are potential impediments towards rural practice.

Students from a rural background return to practise in rural areas.

High tuition fees at medical school influences the career location choice of the student.

Spending more learning in rural area, training in resource-constraint settings could motivate the students.

Students reported a lack of adequate facilities, inadequate salaries, less security, fewer opportunities for further education, high tuition fees, isolation from family and less literacy of rural people as impediments to rural practice.

Eight per cent of students intended for rural practice.

Male students were likely to go in for rural careers.

Students from rural origin were not likely to opt for rural practice.

Twenty-seven per cent of the medical students are working in rural areas after graduation.

Male students, rural background, rural birthplace, attended high school in rural area, older age at matriculation, prior medical background before medical school and lower grades in medical school are associated with rural practice in Nepal.