The effect of Community Based Education and Service (COBES) on medical graduates' choice of specialty and willingness to work in rural communities in Ghana.

Background: Career choices and placements of healthcare professionals in rural areas are a major problem worldwide, and their recruitment and retention to these areas have become a challenge to the health sector. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Community Based Education and Service (COBES) on medical graduates' choice of specialty and willingness to work in a rural area.

Method: This cross sectional survey was conducted among 56 pioneering graduates that followed a Problem Based Learning/Community Based Education and Service (PBL/COBES) curriculum.