Reducing the phenomenon of medical deserts in Poland by identifying the career plans of future doctors in Poland. Quo vadis?

Early Abstract:

Introduction: Provision of equal access to medical services for all citizens is a challenge for the public healthcare systems of many European countries. In many of them, rural areas and other peripheral regions are gradually turning into so-called ‘medical deserts’, whose inhabitants’ access to healthcare is obstructed, which, in turn, leads to deterioration of the quality of life and worse healthcare characteristics of the population. This problem, also experienced in Poland, is not only caused by the shortage of doctors but also by the suboptimal dislocation of the medical workforce. Currently, it is also believed that the emergence of medical deserts can be triggered by factors connected both with the demand and supply of healthcare. The aim of the study is determine the preferences of medicine students towards planned specialization and workplace (understood both as a type of institution and a geographical location) as well as to isolate the determinants of choice of the medical profession, in order to explore how these factors may indirectly contribute to the development and persistence of medical deserts
Methods: A Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) questionnaire study was conducted anonymously with students in their 1st, 3rd and 6th year of medicine at the Medical University of Warsaw (MUW). The research was of a pilot and exploratory nature. Students took part in the research conducted online via the Lime Survey Professional online survey service in January and February 2024. The authored research questionnaire comprised 18 questions concerning motivations for the choice of the medical profession, preferred specialization and workplace. The questionnaire was completed by 434 participants.
Results: Motivations for the selection of the medical profession of young people can be divided into those related to the very profession and those connected with one’s private life, expected salaries or time management possibility. For some part of respondents, the most significant incentive is the prospect of work in the area of science (research motivations), for others – the chance to help others (altruistic motivations). The most important factors influencing career plans were job stability (mean score: 4.5/5), the desire to have a socially meaningful profession (4.3/5), and opportunities for professional self-development (4.2/5).  
Conclusion: By identifying factors shaping future physicians’ career plans, the study contributes to a better understanding of workforce-related mechanisms underlying the development of medical deserts in Poland. These findings may inform future workforce planning and educational strategies aimed at improving the distribution of medical professionals, particularly in underserved areas. However, given the pilot nature of the study and its single-university design, the results should be interpreted with caution, particularly with regard to their generalizability.
Keywords: career plans, general practitioner, health workforce, medical deserts, Poland, rural and remote area.