Determinants of practice location choices among physicians and medical students in Mali: insights into addressing medical deserts through evidence-based strategies

The shortage of medical professionals in rural and remote areas is a global issue that significantly challenges equitable healthcare delivery. Worldwide, various studies have examined the motivations of medical professionals in choosing their practice location. However, for Mali, this topic remains underexplored, motivating us to conduct this study to identify factors influencing doctors’ workplace decisions in Mali. We conducted a cross-sectional study targeting doctors and final-year medical students. Using simple random sampling, we selected 358 respondents, 69% of whom were doctors. Approximately 38% of the respondents preferred rural areas for their practice, primarily citing career development and opportunities for continuing education (38%). The likelihood of choosing rural practice was higher (OR = 5.09; CI = [2.52-10.8]) among participants with family residing in rural areas. Conversely, financial incentives, access to technical platforms, and infrastructure favored urban practice. This study elucidates doctors’ motivations and identifies key factors associated with their choice of practice location.