A study of a cohort of Nigerian medical students before entry and at the completion of their clinical years of training, has shown that their overall attitude towards rural medical practice deteriorated slightly but not significantly in the process. The attitude had improved slightly in students who had grown up largely in rural areas and deteriorated in those brought up in the townships. Similarly, clinical training did not significantly affect their attitude towards the compulsory 1 year National Youth Service Corps which may involve their service in the rural areas after graduation. Factors which were important in the development of these attitudes, as volunteered by the students, included the area of upbringing (urban or rural), the individual's life plan, and professional exposure before and during training. The importance of the knowledge gained from this study in the educational and health service planning in Nigeria are discussed.
PIP: This study of a cohort of Nigerian medical students before entry and at the completion of their clinical years of training (1982-85), has shown that their overall attitude towards rural medical practice deteriorated slightly but not significantly in the process. The attitude had improved slightly in students who had grown up in rural areas and deteriorated in those brought up in townships. Similarly, clinical training did not significantly affect their attitude towards the compulsory 1 year National Youth Service Corps which may involve their service in the rural areas after graduation. Factors which were important in the development of these attitudes, as volunteered by the students, included the area of upbringing (urban or rural), the individual's life plan, and professional exposure before and during training. This study supports the suggestion of an alternative voluntary National Youth Services Corps program if the program is better organized. Postgraduate training in community medicine and general medical practice, improved in such a way as to make them more attractive, will most probably increase the number of Nigerian doctors who eventually practice in rural areas.