Career intentions of medical students in the UK: a national, cross-sectional study (12 September 2023)

Summary

One in three medical students plan to quit the NHS within two years of graduating, either to practise abroad or abandon medicine altogether, according to a survey published in BMJ Open.

Poor pay, work-life balance and working conditions of doctors in the UK were the main factors cited by those intending to emigrate to continue their medical career.

The same reasons were also given by those planning to quit medicine altogether, with nearly 82% of them also listing burnout as an important or very important reason.

The findings from the study of 10,486 students at the UK’s 44 medical schools triggered calls for action to prevent an exodus of medical students from the NHS.