title: Brain drain: final year medical students' intentions of training abroad.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Croatia, a new European Union (EU) member state since July 2013, there is already a shortage of around 3280 doctors to reach the European average.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the emigration intentions of the current cohort of final year medical students at Zabreb School of Medicine.
  
  
  METHODS
  An electronic questionnaire was used in June 2013 to assess the attitudes of 232 final year medical students towards working conditions abroad and expectations for career opportunities in Croatia following accession to the EU.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With an overall response rate of 87%, more than half of the surveyed students (106/202, 53%) intended to travel abroad, either for specialty (52/202, 26%) or subspecialty (54/202, 27%) training. More female students (58/135, 43%) than male students (17/62, 27%) indicated they would not emigrate. Most attractive emigration destinations were: Germany (34/121, 28%), USA (19/121, 16%), the UK (19/121, 16%), Switzerland (16/121, 13%) and Canada (11/121, 9%). The most important goals that respondents aimed to achieve through training abroad were to excel professionally (45/120, 38%), to prosper financially (20/120, 17%) and to acquire new experiences and international exposure (31/120, 26%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Students' motivating factors, goals for and positive beliefs about training abroad, as well as negative expectations regarding career opportunities in Croatia, may point towards actions that could be taken to help make Croatia a country that facilitates medical education and professional career development of young doctors.
authors.affiliation: University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bojanic
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bojanic
authors.affiliation: University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Likic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007393:International Educational Exchange / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D013038:Specialization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: HEALTH ECONOMICS; MEDICAL EDUCATION & TRAINING