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A global problem of medical professionals migrating from developing
countries has become a major concern, especially for the developing
countries(1). While temporary migration of physicians for training
purposes definitely produces benefits for the emigrating country through
upgrading skills, technological and financial transfers, permanent
migration represents a net transfer of human capital from the emigrating
country(2). The problem has recently come under great attention, with new
member states of the European Union almost systematically experiencing
alarming predictions of brain drain after entering the Union(3). With
start of Croatian membership in October this year, Croatia possibly faces
similar predictions.
We surveyed final year medical students from Medical School,
University of Zagreb, Croatia, and analysed the results with logistic
regression. A total of 204 final year medical students were surveyed
(response rate 85.0%). 84 students (41.2%) responded that they were
considering emigration. The most common emigration target was EU, for 57
respondents (67.9%), with Slovenia as the most common target country for
22 of these (26.2%). Comparison of the results of the same survey
performed a year before(4) indicated increase in the percent of students
considering emigration, form 31.1% to 41.2%, and confirmed Slovenia as the
most common target country. The logistic regression results indicate that
better-ranked (OR=0.85, 95%CI 0.77-0.94), younger medical students
(OR=2.16, 95%CI 1.10-4.24), interested in scientific work (OR=2.16, 95%CI
1.10-4.24) consider emigration from Croatia.
The Croatian Medical Chamber report of a serious physician
shortage(5) further complicates the situation. According to the new
legislative scheme there would be a lack of 398 consultants in Internal
medicine and 340 consultants in Surgery by the year 2007. With the
possibility of serious physician shortage and best-ranked new graduates
emigrating, Croatia potentially faces substantial problems in the health
care provision.
References
1. Pang T, Lansang MA, Haines A. Brain drain and health
professionals. BMJ. 2002;324:499-500.
2. Forcier MB, Simoens S, Giuffrida A. Impact, regulation and health
policy implications of physician migration in OECD countries. Human
Resources for Health 2004, 2:12
3. Krosnar K. Could joining EU club spell disaster for the new
members? BMJ. 2004 Feb 7;328(7435):310.
4. Kolcic I, Polasek O, Mihalj H, Gombac E, Kraljevic V, Kraljevic I,
Krakar G. Research involvement, specialty choice, and emigration
preferences of final year medical students in Croatia. Croat Med J. 2005
Feb;46(1):88-95.
5. “Croatia lacks physicians!” [In Croatian] Published online,
available from the Croatian Medical Chamber website. URL:
http://www.hlk.hr/default.asp?ru=1&gl=200507010000003&sid=&jezik=1,
Accessed Oct 4th, 2005.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests:
No competing interests
27 October 2005
Ozren Polasek
Research assistant in Medical Informatics
Kolcic Ivana, research assistant in Epidemiology, Andrija Stampar School of Public Health, Medical School, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Andrija Stampar School of Public Health, Medical School, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Medical migration: which medical students consider emigration from Croatia?
A global problem of medical professionals migrating from developing countries has become a major concern, especially for the developing countries(1). While temporary migration of physicians for training purposes definitely produces benefits for the emigrating country through upgrading skills, technological and financial transfers, permanent migration represents a net transfer of human capital from the emigrating country(2). The problem has recently come under great attention, with new member states of the European Union almost systematically experiencing alarming predictions of brain drain after entering the Union(3). With start of Croatian membership in October this year, Croatia possibly faces similar predictions.
We surveyed final year medical students from Medical School, University of Zagreb, Croatia, and analysed the results with logistic regression. A total of 204 final year medical students were surveyed (response rate 85.0%). 84 students (41.2%) responded that they were considering emigration. The most common emigration target was EU, for 57 respondents (67.9%), with Slovenia as the most common target country for 22 of these (26.2%). Comparison of the results of the same survey performed a year before(4) indicated increase in the percent of students considering emigration, form 31.1% to 41.2%, and confirmed Slovenia as the most common target country. The logistic regression results indicate that better-ranked (OR=0.85, 95%CI 0.77-0.94), younger medical students (OR=2.16, 95%CI 1.10-4.24), interested in scientific work (OR=2.16, 95%CI 1.10-4.24) consider emigration from Croatia.
The Croatian Medical Chamber report of a serious physician shortage(5) further complicates the situation. According to the new legislative scheme there would be a lack of 398 consultants in Internal medicine and 340 consultants in Surgery by the year 2007. With the possibility of serious physician shortage and best-ranked new graduates emigrating, Croatia potentially faces substantial problems in the health care provision.
References
1. Pang T, Lansang MA, Haines A. Brain drain and health professionals. BMJ. 2002;324:499-500.
2. Forcier MB, Simoens S, Giuffrida A. Impact, regulation and health policy implications of physician migration in OECD countries. Human Resources for Health 2004, 2:12
3. Krosnar K. Could joining EU club spell disaster for the new members? BMJ. 2004 Feb 7;328(7435):310.
4. Kolcic I, Polasek O, Mihalj H, Gombac E, Kraljevic V, Kraljevic I, Krakar G. Research involvement, specialty choice, and emigration preferences of final year medical students in Croatia. Croat Med J. 2005 Feb;46(1):88-95.
5. “Croatia lacks physicians!” [In Croatian] Published online, available from the Croatian Medical Chamber website. URL: http://www.hlk.hr/default.asp?ru=1&gl=200507010000003&sid=&jezik=1, Accessed Oct 4th, 2005.
Competing interests: None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests