In this day and age, it can be generally observed that thedisparitybetween cities and the country has been

aggravated¹ by relentle ssurbanization. With respect to educational and medicalfacilities, ayawning gap has

emerged between those in cities andthe rural ones.This manifest chasm² has prompted some to suggestthat

teachers anddoctors fresh out of university work in thecountry for a fewyears.Yet many are opposed to this view on
thegrounds that itinfringes upon individual freedom to choose wheretheywork.Personally, I think both these two

views have meritanddemerit.Granted,assigning new teachers and doctors tothecountryside may create certain

benefits.To begin with,thispracticecan help foster a strong sense of obligation in manyteachers anddoctors.They can
experience first-hand how therural residentsare held back by the out-moded teaching and medicalfacilities andthis,

in turn, can inspire a host of professionals tocommitthemselves to the alleviation³ of this

disturbingsituation.Moreover,the inferior living and working conditions inthe countrycan temper many of these young
professionals’ soul.Theyare verylikely to be more tenacious⁴ and determined⁵ and hencemoresuccessful than their

urban counterparts inlatercareers.However,there are even more drawbacks that thispracticecan engender⁶.In the

first place,many young teachers anddoctorswill feel unmotivated or frustrated⁷ if they are sent torural areasagainst

their own will.They may have a hard time gettingaccustomedto the shabby housing and primitive⁸ facilities and

slackoff atwork.In the second place,if new teachers and doctors arecoerced towork in the countryside, a

considerable proportion ofthem may findit daunting⁹ when it comes time for them to relocate tocities aftera few years
in the country.They will feel intenseoccupationalstress when they cannot operate efficiently¹⁰ equipmentmuch

moreadvanced than the devices they are used to back in thecountryschool or hospital. Last but not least, given

theinferiority ofthe rural educational and medical facilities,it ishighly probablethat the inexperience of new teachers

and doctorswill lead tounsatisfactory job performance in rural schools andclinics.Wereally cannot expect fresh

recruits to work wonders withoutdatedtools.In the final analysis,I concede that sending teachersanddoctors fresh

out of college to the countryside mayproducespecific advantages. However,if we enforcethisindiscriminately,that will

surely generate even more banes.Onbalance, I am convinced that we should optimize our workforceandhonor the

individual freedom in determining wheretheywork