Physicians’ motivation for the choice of profession and career projections in the changing Lithuanian labour market

Studija atskleidžia gydytojų profesijos pasirinkimo ir karjeros „kelių“ dinamiką. Nagrinėjami tokie reiškiniai kaip prieštaravimai tarp išsilavinimo, padėties darbo rinkoje ir profesijos prestižo bei gydytojų emigracija. Remiamasi mokslinės literatūros, statistinių duomenų bei ekspertų interviu su Vilniaus universiteto Medicinos fakulteto ir Lietuvos sveikatos mokslų universiteto absolventais-gydytojais (projekte dalyvavo 30 gydytojų) duomenimis. Remiantis šio tyrimo rezultatais galės būti išsamiau įvertintas sveikatos priežiūros darbo rinkos ir užimtumo reguliavimo priemonių efektyvumas, tinkamumas ir dermė su Lietuvos Respublikos ūkio ir gyventojų poreikiais. Tyrimų rezultatai galės būti naudojami tobulinant ir formuojant darbo rinkos ir migracijos politiką, rengiant rekomendacijas darbdaviams, Lietuvos darbo biržai, švietimo ir mokslo institucijoms, apskričių administracijoms ir savivaldybėms.The project Physicians’ Motivation for the Choice of Profession and Career Projections in the Changing Lithuanian Labour Market aimed at analysing Lithuanian physicians’ career choices and career path dynamics including the inconsistencies within and between the medical education, physicians’ labour market and occupational prestige, as well as migration patterns of physicians. Based on statistical analysis and qualitative inquiry, the physicians’ career planning, career opportunities and motives and factors that influence the choice of career paths (prestige, migration etc.) have been evaluated. The empirical foundation of this research was constituted by primary data gathered at the end of 2011 - beginning of 2012, from a study of Lithuanian physicians’ professional networks, expectations and values, satisfaction with the current living and career situation as well as individual reasons and motives for migration or non-migration, individual and professional community and the occupational prestige factors. The research also obtained information on the health care labour market and employment regulatory efficiency and its relevance and coherence with the physicians’ needs. Between December 2012 and January 2012, 30 semi-structured interviews with Lithuanian physicians were conducted (including 1 in Ireland, 4 in Germany, 1 in the UK, 2 in Norway and 22 in Lithuania). The majority of them were aged 30-40, 12 were male and 18 female. With regard to education, four of them were GP‘s, three - surgeons, five - pediatricians (including pediatrician-endocrinologist and pediatrician-geneticist), three psychiatrists, two gynecologists. The remaining group included a geneticist, a reanimatologist, an anesthesiologist, an endocrinologist, an immunologist, an urologist, an internist, a dentist, an otorhinolaryngologist and a cardiologist. The interviews also included experts at Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine and experts at Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. The integration of physicians into the labour market trends were measured in the context of economic boom / recession. The findings of the research reflect the problems of physicians in the Lithuanian health care sector and allowed a detailed assessment of physician careers. The findings reflect the current situation of doctors and the most significant issues of their integration in the country's labour market. The findings suggest that the ideal working conditions are hardly possible anywhere: the descriptions of the ideal (most satisfying) work conditions and careers vary greatly and depend on personal and professional experience. The physicians interviewed abroad worked in healthcare sector, but many have not possessed socially secure work positions. Both physicians who worked in Lithuanian hospitals and those who worked abroad reported having excessive workload and intense schedules. However, in the light of experience in the foreign countries the workload was evaluated as more manageable and better scheduled, because of existing better work organization practices and higher rewards (including pay and doctor-patient relations). For Lithuania, the results suggest that physicians’ working conditions are largely impeded by paperwork and lack of time for fork with patients (especially in the public healthcare). [...] This research has important policy implications in the presence of current debate over healthcare reform in Lithuania. The strategic policy objectives which would help mitigate the ongoing social and territorial redistribution of human (intellectual) resources in health care sector were developed, and recommendations for the implementation of these policy objectives were provided. These objective s and recommendations will be beneficial for improving and developing the medical labour market and migration policies, as well as for the preparation of recommendations for employers, the Lithuanian Labour Exchange, educational and scientific institutions, regional and local administrations and municipalities