Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2014.55.452
Emigration-related attitudes of the final year medical students in Croatia: a cross-sectional study at the dawn of the EU accession
Ivana Kolčić
orcid.org/0000-0001-7918-6052
; Department of Public Health University of Split, School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Mihaela Čikeš
; Medical student, University of Split, School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Kristina Boban
; Medical student, University of Split, School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Jasna Bućan
; Medical student, University of Split, School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Robert Likić
; Department of Internal Medicine University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
Goran Ćurić
; Laboratory for DNA analysis, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek School of Medicine, Osijek, Croatia
Zoran Đogaš
; Department of Neuroscience, University of Split, School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Ozren Polašek
orcid.org/0000-0002-5765-1862
; Department of Public Health University of Split, School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Abstract
Aim To investigate the emigration-related attitudes of final
year medical students in Croatia at the dawn of the EU accession
in 2013.
Methods All final-year medical students at four Croatian
medical schools (Zagreb, Rijeka, Split, and Osijek) were invited
to participate in a cross-sectional survey on emigration
attitudes.
Results Among 260 respondents (response rate 61%), 90
students (35%) reported readiness for permanent emigration,
expecting better quality of life (N = 22, 31%), better
health care organization (N = 17, 24%), more professional
challenges (N = 10, 14%), or simply to get a job (N = 8, 11%),
while the least common expectation were greater earnings
(N = 7, 10%). The most common target countries were
Germany (N = 36, 40%), USA and Canada (N = 15, 17%), and
UK (N = 10, 11%). In a multivariate analysis, readiness for
permanent emigration was associated with an interest in
undertaking a temporary training abroad (odds ratio [OR]
6.87; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.83-16.72), while the belief
that the preferred specialty could be obtained in Croatia
appeared protective against emigration (OR 0.26; 95%
CI 0.12-0.59).
Conclusion Despite shortages of health care workers in
Croatia, the percentage of students with emigration propensity
was rather high. Prevalent negative perception of
the Croatian health care and recent Croatian accession to
the EU pose a threat of losing newly graduated physicians
to EU countries.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
129949
URI
Publication date:
15.10.2014.
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