Evaluation of Future Anxiety and Attitudes and Behaviors Towards Brain Drain in Medical Faculty Students: A Mixed Methods Study TIP FAKÜLTESİ ÖĞRENCİLERİNDE GELECEK KAYGISI YAŞAMA DURUMU İLE BEYİN GÖÇÜNE YÖNELİK TUTUM VE DAVRANIŞLARIN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ: BİR KARMA YÖNTEM ARAŞTIRMASI
Community and Physician, cilt.41, sa.4, ss.305-320, 2026 (Scopus, TRDizin)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 41 Sayı: 4
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Dergi Adı: Community and Physician
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.305-320
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Attitudes and behaviors, Brain drain, Future anxiety, Medical faculty students, Mixed methods study
- Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Brain drain, the migration of skilled labor for better work and life quality, is increasing among medical students. This study examines the factors affecting medical students' future anxiety and attitudes, behaviors towards brain drain. This mixed-methods study at X University Faculty of Medicine involved 460 students in the quantitative phase, 30 students in the qualitative phase. Datawere collected via a 20-question questionnaire, Future Anxiety Scale, Attitude Scale for Brain Drain, and analyzed using SPSS and MAXQDA. Future anxiety was higher among women, those with low income, and poor academic performance. Participants rating healthcare services as poor were 3.16 times, those perceiving society's attitude towards physicians negatively were 9.26 times, those wanting to pursue career abroad were 2.32 times more likely to experience future anxiety. Higher maternal education and better English/German proficiency were associated with higher brain drain scores. Students rating society’s attitude towards physicians negatively were 7.33 times more likely to have brain drain tendency. The likelihood of pursuing career abroad is higher for various reasons: 2.16 times for economic opportunities, 2.90 times for political/administrative reasons, 2.67 times for reputation, 4.48 times for better education, 3.82 times for healthcare violence, 5.60 times for better living standards. In semi-structured interviews, seven themes were identified: social structure and professional reputation, economic reasons, living standards, working conditions, violence in healthcare, professional development, and political/administrative reasons. Qualitative results revealed that negative societal attitudes towards physicians and violence in healthcare are key factors increasing future anxiety and brain drain tendencies identified in quantitative analyses. To reduce brain drain, reforms in healthcare, education, social services are essential. Key steps include preventing violence against healthcare workers, improving economic and professional conditions, and creating a supportive work environment.