Factors predicting the motivation to study abroad in Turkish medical students: a causal investigation into the problem of brain drain

Year 2023, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 526 - 531, 27.03.2023

Ayşe Erdoğan Kaya Beyza Erdoğan Aktürk Eda Aslan

https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1253308

Cited By: 2

Abstract

Aim: We aimed to examine the frequency of plans to practice medicine abroad in medical school students and the related variables, in relation to the recently increasing brain drain in physicians in our country.
Material and Method: A total of 82 volunteer students in the 5th and 6th grades were included in the study. Our study is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was directed to the participants about sociodemographic data, attitudes towards the medical profession, the reasons that make it difficult to practice medicine in our country, the idea of ​​working abroad, and the attractive features of abroad opportunities for students. In addition, the World Health Organization Quality-of-Life Scale (WHOQOL-Bref) to measure the quality of life of the students and the Perceived Stress Scale-14 (PSS-14) to measure the stress level were applied. The data were analyzed in SPSS (21.0) program.
Results: 56% Of the participants were female (n=46), 44% (n=39) were male, and the mean age was 24.07 ±1.65. Majority of the students (94%, n=77) stated that they thought of doing medicine abroad, and nearly half of them (46%, n=38) stated that they were determined on this issue. The answers given by the students to the question why they preferred medical school were as follows: Job guarantee (79%), income comfort (77%) and prestige (70%). Majority of the participants stated that they felt regret from time to time for choosing medical school (58.5%, n=48) and 45% (n=37) stated that they thought of leaving medical school in the past. The following answers were frequently given to the question of the most important reasons that make it difficult to practice the profession of medicine in our country: Heavy working conditions and long working hours (90%), verbal/physical violence against physicians (87%), mobbing and pressure applied by seniors/administrators in the workplace. (67%). The countries respondents considered to immigrate frequently were: Germany, UK and USA. The mean PSS-14 score of the participants was found to be 1.98±0.49, and there was no significant difference between those who thought to practice medicine abroad and those who did not. In the Pearson correlation test, it was determined that there was a significant and negative correlation between the WHOQOL-Bref and PSS-14 scores (r=-0.620, p<0.05).
Conclusion: The results show that most of the medical students have the idea of brain drain. Special attention should be given to the problems of physicians and medical students in the issue of physician brain drain, which causes the loss of qualified workforce in our country and has been increasing in recent years, and solution-oriented interventions should be implemented rapidly.

Keywords

brain drain, medical student, quality of life, perceived stress, abroad

References

• Gökbayrak Ş. Uluslararası göç ve kalkınma tartışmaları: beyin göçü üzerine bir inceleme. Ankara Üniversitesi SBF Derg 2008; 63: 65-82.
• Kizito S, Mukunya D, Nakitende J, et al. Career intentions of final year medical students in Uganda after graduating: the burden of brain drain. BMC Med Educ 2015; 15: 1-7.
• Bakırtaş T, Kandemir O. Gelişmekte olan ülkeler ve beyin göçü: Türkiye örneği. Kastamonu Eğitim Derg 2010; 18: 961-74.
• Wickramasekara P. Globalisation, international labour migration and the rights of migrant workers. Third World Quarterly 2008; 29: 1247-64.
• Gouda P, Kitt K, Evans DS, et al. Ireland’s medical brain drain: migration intentions of Irish medical students. Human Resources Health 2015; 13: 1-9.
• Yıldız GH, Kubilay Ö. Neoliberal sağlık politikaları ve hekim göçü: neoliberal health policies and doctor migration. Scientific Acad Res 2022; 1: 1-13.
• Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R. A global measure of perceived stress. J Health Social Behavior 1983: 385-96.
• Eskin M, Harlak H, Demirkıran F, Dereboy Ç. Algılanan stres ölçeğinin Türkçeye uyarlanması: güvenirlik ve geçerlik analizi. Yeni Symposium J 2013; 51: 132-40.
• Eser E, Fidaner H, Fidaner C, Eser SY, Elbi H, Göker E. WHOQOL-100 ve WHOQOL-BREF'in psikometrik özellikleri. Psikiyatri Psikoloji Psikofarmakoloji (3P) Derg 1999; 7: 23-40.
• Mittelmeier J, Gunter A, Raghuram P, Rienties B. Migration intentions of international distance education students studying from a South African institution: unpacking potential brain drain. Globalisation Societies and Education 2022; 20: 523-41.
• Nadir F, Sardar H, Ahmad H. Perceptions of medical students regarding brain drain and its effects on Pakistan’s socio-medical conditions: a cross-sectional study. Pakistan J Med Sci 2023; 39: 401-03.
• Turan FD. Hemşirelik dördüncü sınıf öğrencilerinin beyin göçüne yönelik tutumlarının yordayıcısı olarak kariyer karar verme ve kariyer karar verme yetkinlikleri. Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi 2021; 10: 828-41.
• Filiz M, Karagöz MB, Karagöz N. Tıp fakültesi öğrencilerinin beyin göçüne yönelik tutumlarının değerlendirilmesi. Karadeniz Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi 2022; 14: 679-92.
• Anastasiou E. Populations in crisis: migration plans and determinants among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Migration Letters 2022; 19: 15-28.
• Emine Ö, Selvi H, Vayisoğlu SK, Ceyhan H. Hemşirelik öğrencilerinde beyin göçüne yönelik tutum ölçeği geliştirilmesi: güvenirlik ve geçerlik çalışması. Cukurova Med J 2018; 43: 207-15.
• Özdemir A, İlhan A. Beyin göçü: öğrencileri yurt dışı eğitime yönlendiren sebepler bağlamında nitel bir araştırma. İstanbul Ticaret Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi 2021; 20: 1159-86.
• Amorha K, Irobi C, Udoh A. The brain drain potential of skilled health workers from sub-Saharan Africa: a case study of pharmacy students in Nigeria. Pharmacy Education 2022; 22: 654-63.
• Çıtıl R, Keten M. Tıp fakültesi öğrencilerinin uzmanlık tercihleri ve mesleki kaygı düzeyleri. Gaziosmanpaşa Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi 2021; 13: 171-92.
• Pratsinakis M. Greece’s emigration during the crisis beyond the brain drain. Challenging mobilities in and to the EU during times of crises: The case of Greece: Springer International Publishing Cham; 2022. p. 27-45.
• Ash P, Frierson RL, Friedman SH. Malpractice and Liability in Psychiatry: Springer; 2022.
• Çelik Y, Kılıç İ. Hemşirelerde iş doyumu, mesleki tükenmişlik ve yaşam kalitesi arasındaki ilişkiler. Kocatepe Tıp Dergisi 2019; 20: 230-8.
• Erol A, Sarıçiçek A, Gülseren Ş. Asistan hekimlerde tükenmişlik: İş doyumu ve depresyonla ilişkisi. Anadolu Psikiyatri Dergisi 2007; 8: 241-7.
• Kaynak KÖ, Öztuna B. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the perceived stress levels and psychological resilience of healthcare professionals. J Health Sci Med 2023; 6: 208-14.