Purpose This paper investigates whether career planning can lower qualitative job insecurity through increased goal and option awareness. We also aim to discover whether this mediation depends upon the match between the type of career planning and worker context. Design/methodology/approach Through two online intervention studies (N1 = 256, N2 = 212), we compare the results of Dutch-speaking workers who did an exploitation-based career planning exercise and those who did an exploration-based career planning exercise against a control group. Career commitment (Study 1) and perceived labor market demand (Study 2) were analyzed as moderators to assess the impact of context. Findings Exploitation-based career planning lowered qualitative job insecurity via increased goal awareness in Study 1. Study 2 did not replicate this finding. No intervention effects were found for exploration-based career planning. Goal/Option awareness related negatively to qualitative job insecurity. No support was found for the contextual match hypotheses. Research limitations/implications While more career goal/option awareness related negatively to qualitative job insecurity, the career planning exercises did not reliably increase such awareness. Future researchers may investigate the roles of concern, curiosity and action to further investigate the effectiveness of the career planning exercises. Originality/value This study contributes to the scarce literature on qualitative job insecurity in a time where valued job features are being increasingly threatened. Moreover, it extends prior correlational research with experimental results on the relationship between career planning and qualitative job insecurity.

BackgroundNurses show low enthusiasm for senior title promotion despite its career benefits. Understanding their experiences and difficulties can inform more effective policy implementation.IntroductionThe nurse promotion system directly affects remuneration and work enthusiasm. Mobilizing nurses’ initiative within this framework remains a key challenge for policymakers and hospital administrators.AimTo explore the views and experiences of clinical nurses with intermediate titles on the promotion system of senior titles.MethodsA descriptive phenomenological study was conducted. A total of 13 clinical nurses with intermediate professional titles from 11 different departments (the average years of obtaining the intermediate title were 7.54 years) participated in face‐to‐face semistructured interviews. The data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven‐step data analysis method (1978). The COREQ guidelines were followed for reporting. Rigor was ensured through member checking and peer debriefing.ResultsFive categories emerged: Escape (perceived inadequacy, clinical/family burden, and lack of guidance/role models); Transform (clinical influence, environmental impact, and enhanced self‐awareness); Challenge (research learning, degree hurdles, and trial/failure); Reflection (early career planning, perseverance, and continuous self‐growth); and Expect (career/psychological support, research environment, and diversified criteria). These categories formed a cyclical process from Escape to Transform, interrupted by Challenge, leading to Reflection, and culminating in Expect for systemic change.DiscussionNursing managers and educators should attach great importance to the promotion experience of nurses, promptly address their promotion needs, and provide career planning training and guidance as early as possible.ConclusionsBy planning career development in advance, actively learning and enhancing professional and research capabilities, the comprehensive ability and professional pride of nurses can be strengthened, and the promotion rate of senior professional titles for nurses can be increased.Implications for Nursing PolicyNurse managers, policy makers, and nursing schools should jointly design a career development framework including mentorship, protected research time, methodological support, career planning workshops, diversified criteria, and innovation‐friendly environments. Context‐tailored implementation may enhance nurses’ promotion enthusiasm and success rates.

Introduction Medical students’ perceptions of the medical profession shape their identity and career decisions. However, little is known about how these perceptions evolve over the course of undergraduate medical education. This study addresses this gap by exploring how medical students’ views of the profession change across different years of training. Methods We employed an inductive constructivist approach to analyse data from 53,312 open-ended responses from the 2021 China Medical Student Survey (CMSS), representing over 120 medical schools across China. Natural language processing (NLP) techniques, including topic modeling and sentiment analysis, were used. We examined how students’ narrative descriptions of the medical profession and their sentiment scores varied across different years of undergraduate medical education. Results Students’ perceptions of the medical profession centred on two broad areas: academic aspects (specialised knowledge, skills, educational requirements, and lifelong learning) and career aspects (professional image and career prospect). Across all undergraduate medical education years, academic aspects appeared more frequently than career aspects. However, as students progressed through training, references to career prospect and educational requirements increased, indicating a developmental shift toward more pragmatic and future-oriented concerns. Sentiment analysis revealed consistently positive attitudes. However, the average sentiment scores gradually declined with each successive year. Discussion By examining students’ descriptions of the medical profession and their emotional tone, this study provides a clearer understanding of how views of the profession evolve throughout undergraduate medical education. The increasing attention to career-related concerns alongside the gradual decline in sentiment highlights the need for educational strategies that address students’ developing expectations, career planning needs, and emotional well-being. These nationally representative findings offer important insights into medical students’ perceptions of the profession, highlighting the value of NLP in analysing large-scale qualitative data and the need for future cross-cultural comparisons to explore how these perceptions evolve in diverse educational contexts.

Background: Nurses’ well-being at work is important for high-quality care and sustainable nursing careers. In care settings for older people, nurses face psychological, ethical, physical, and environmental demands in their early careers. However, little is known regarding how resilience, exposure to unethical conduct, physical work capacity, and the work environment are associated with early career nurses’ well-being at work in this setting. Aim: To analyse early career nurses’ well-being at work and associated factors in care settings for older people. Design: A cross-sectional, descriptive survey. Methods: Participants were qualified nurses (n = 262) at the national level in Finland. Inclusion criteria were graduation as a licensed practical nurse or registered nurse within the previous three years or during the data collection period and work experience in care settings for older people. Exclusion criterion was work experience that was limited to clinical placements. Data were collected electronically using the Nurses’ Well-Being at Work Scale©, the Brief Resilience Scale©, and demographic and career questions. Associations between well-being at work and background variables were studied using linear regression models. Results: Early career nurses’ self-assessed well-being at work was found to be moderate (3.39; SD 0.79; 5-point Likert scale). Univariate analyses revealed that better well-being at work was associated with having career plans in care services for older people, higher resilience, not observing unethical conduct, higher physical work capacity, and a better-fitting work environment; in multivariable analysis, never observing unethical conduct and higher physical work capacity remained significant. Conclusions: Early career nurses’ well-being at work in care settings for older people was associated with psychological, ethical, physical, and environmental aspects, thus emphasising the need for educational, organisational, and political actions, and research to support sustainable nursing careers and high-quality care for aging populations.

BackgroundOne in four US children live in immigrant families, and 16% of US children live in poverty. To provide optimal medical care for these populations, additional knowledge and skills are needed. It is unknown whether residency training is adequately preparing physicians to care for these populations. We surveyed pediatric residents to understand if training on the needs of children in immigrant and low-income families was associated with self-reported preparedness and plans to care for these populations.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted in a large midwestern pediatric residency. Questions related to resident demographics, exposure to specific curricular components, future career plans, and residents’ report of feeling prepared to care for children in immigrant families and children in low-income families. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Fisher’s exact test.ResultsOf 158 potential responses, 96 completed surveys were analyzed (61% response rate). Residents had been interested in training programs that would allow them to care for children in immigrant families (76%) and children in low-income families (93%). Most residents (89%) felt prepared to care for children in low-income families. Fewer residents (59%) felt prepared to care for children in immigrant families. Exposure to global health lectures (p = 0.04) and cultural humility training (p = 0.02) and other global health topics was associated with residents reporting feeling prepared to care for children in immigrant families. Residents whose future career plan included care for children in immigrant families or international populations were more likely to be exposed to elective global health training opportunities.ConclusionPediatric residents are interested in caring for children in low-income and immigrant families. Exposure to specific global health and cultural humility training sessions was associated with feeling that residency prepared them to care for children in immigrant families and implementation of similar training into residency programs should be considered to improve care for immigrant families in the US.

Nursing has historically been a female-dominated profession; however, the increasing presence of male nurses in management and leadership roles has attracted increasing scholarly and institutional attention. This qualitative study explores the career trajectories of male nurse managers and the key enablers that support their progression into formal leadership positions within a gendered professional context. A descriptive phenomenological approach was used to conduct semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 10 nursing managers. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling in a high-level tier hospital in China. Data were analysed using Colaizzi's seven-step method for descriptive phenomenology. Four core themes emerged: early systematic career planning, solid clinical expertise, effective mentor support, and strategies to navigate gendered work environments. These were refined into 10 subthemes: clarifying leadership intent early; accumulating leadership-relevant experiences deliberately; building credibility through high-standard practice; clinical expertise enabling leadership behaviors; demonstrating capability during critical incidents; early guidance on career direction and role fit; Skill development through mentorship; managing stereotypes and expectations about male nurses; building collaborative relationships in female-majority teams; and balancing visibility with legitimacy in leadership roles. This study offers practical and theoretical insights for fostering male nurse leadership. Health institutions should institutionalize mentorship, provide early career-planning support, and cultivate inclusive environments to advance diversity and equity in nursing leadership.

Dermatology is one of the most interdisciplinary specialties in medicine, yet the pathways through which physicians may enter dermatologic practice are not always clearly defined for trainees. Although dermatology residency remains the primary route to board certification, alternative pathways allow physicians from other specialties to participate in dermatologic care. These include fellowships and training opportunities in dermatopathology, pediatric dermatology, cosmetic dermatologic surgery, micrographic surgery and dermatologic oncology, and community-based dermatology fellowships for physicians trained in family medicine or internal medicine. This review outlines the major residency and fellowship routes that lead to dermatologic practice in the United States and highlights the evolving interdisciplinary structure of the dermatology workforce. The growing role of primary care providers in dermatologic care is also highlighted alongside emerging training opportunities to expand access while maintaining quality. While alternative pathways offer opportunities to expand access to dermatologic care and foster collaboration across specialties, they also present limitations related to variability in training exposure, procedural experience, and standardization of curriculum. Understanding these pathways is important for medical students, residents, and educators seeking to navigate career planning within dermatology and related specialties. A comprehensive overview of these routes may improve transparency in dermatology training and support a more collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to skin health.

This study focuses on the integration path and effect of short videos on social media and college English listening and speaking teaching, aiming to provide a reference for the reform of college English listening and speaking teaching through empirical exploration. The research adopted a mixed research method (quantitative +qualitative), selecting 90 second-year students of other majors from a certain university as the research subjects. All students had achieved a level 4 English proficiency (425–500 points) and had not received short video-assisted listening and speaking teaching. They were randomly allocated to the experimental group (45 people). A 16-week teaching experiment was carried out by using short videos from platforms such as YouTube and TikTok for auxiliary teaching and a control group (45 people, taught using the traditional textbook “New Horizons College English (Third Edition)” listening and speaking course). During the experiment, the teaching of the two groups was carried out around three units: campus life, cross-cultural communication, and career planning. The teacher was the same person to control the variables. Data were collected through several methods, including tests, questionnaires on learning motivation, classroom observations, and interviews. After conducting independent sample t-tests and ANOVA with SPSS 24.0 and qualitative coding analysis with Nvivo 12, it was found that: in terms of listening and speaking abilities, the average score of the experimental group after the test was (78.6 ±7.2), which showed a significant advantage compared with the control group (68.5 ±8.1) (t=5.82, p<0.01). The improvement rate (16.3 points) was 2.4 times that of the control group (6.7 points). Meanwhile, the difference in the long dialogue question type was the most significant (difference proportion +22.95%). After the test, the average score of the experimental group was (76.3 ±7.8), which showed a significant advantage compared with the control group (66.2 ±8.4) (t=4.95, p<0.01). Compared with the control group, the pronunciation dimension (78.5 ±6.9) was 12.3 points higher and the fluency dimension (77.2 ±7.1) was 11.5 points higher. In terms of learning motivation, compared with the control group (p<0.05), the four ARCS model dimensions of attention (4.2 ±0.5), relevance (4.1 ±0.6), confidence (4.0 ±0.5), and satisfaction (3.9 ±0.6) in the experimental group all had obvious advantages. Among them, the score difference in the confidence dimension is the most significant, at 0.9 points. Moreover, the motivation showed a phased characteristic of rapid increase from the 1st to the 4th week and stable improvement after the 8th week, forming a positive cycle from ability improvement to motivation enhancement, despite the absence of a prominent fluctuation in the motivation of the control group throughout the process (the difference in each dimension was ≤0.1). In terms of teaching adaptability, the real context (multiple accents, life-like scenarios) of short videos solves the problem of disconnection between teaching materials and language resources. The duration of 15 seconds to 5 minutes is suitable for fragmented learning, and the high interactivity (imitation, recording, and mutual evaluation) enhances classroom participation The average number of active speeches per class in the experimental group (18.5 times) was three times that of the control group (6.2 times), and the participation in group discussions (92%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (65%). Further analysis of the effects of different types of short videos reveals that the educational category performed best in capturing listening details (4.5 points) and imitating oral pronunciation (4.4 points), the cultural category scored the highest in stimulating learning motivation (4.6 points), and the daily category had a significant advantage in improving oral fluency (4.5 points). Research has confirmed that short videos on social media can effectively assist college students of other majors in English listening and speaking teaching and stimulate their learning motivation. In teaching, complementary advantages should be achieved by adopting strategies such as using educational videos in the basic stage, daily videos in the application stage, and interspersing cultural videos throughout the process.

Career adaptability of pharmacy students in Taiwan: A qualitative study.

More than 20 years have passed since the gradual establishment of genetic counseling in Japan. Certified Genetic Counselors (CGC) are members of the Japan Association of Certified Genetic Counselors (JACGC), which comprises 388 members. The JACGC conducts biennial surveys of its members to assess the current status of CGCs and explore their activities for future professional advancement. The FY2022 survey was conducted with a focus on workforce issues, work-life balance, and career planning along with regular questions. The results revealed that 78.7% of CGCs were employed in clinical settings, 14.2% in education, and 7.1% in industry. The CGCs were present in 34 of 47 prefectures (72.3%) across Japan, with CGCs primarily working in the cancer (77.3%), prenatal (66.0%), pediatric (55.3%), and neuromuscular (46.1%) fields. The proportion of CGCs working in the cancer and prenatal fields was high; however, an increase in CGCs contributing to the pediatric and neuromuscular fields was observed. In addition, CGCs undertake a wide range of responsibilities, from nonspecialized tasks such as administrative work to specialized roles in research and education. CGCs have consistently demonstrated the value of their roles through their contributions. As genetic medicine continues to expand rapidly, CGCs are expected to further prove their value, broaden their professional scope, and remain dedicated to advancing genetic medicine in Japan.

Continuous teacher training is central to the realization of inclusive education, especially in Amazonian contexts marked by geographic and structural challenges. This article analyzes how teacher training for school inclusion of students with special educational needs has been ensured in Cametá, Pará, considering educational legislation, institutional policies, and local training conditions. The qualitative study is grounded in the National Education Guidelines Law (LDB No. 9.394/1996) and the municipal Career Plan, using documentary analysis and observation at EMEIF Maria Joana dos Santos, a riverside school with training actions linked to its Pedagogical Project and a university extension project for deaf education. Results show that, despite legal provisions and relevant initiatives, continuous training faces limitations in access, dissemination, and pedagogical support. School inclusion in Amazonian territory demands more structured public policies and critical, contextualized training processes.

To investigate the factors influencing the job satisfaction of healthcare workers in primary healthcare institutions in Lanzhou City. A stratified random cluster sampling method was used to conduct an online survey among healthcare workers in township health centers across five districts and three counties of Lanzhou City. A self-designed questionnaire was administered to assess job satisfaction, remuneration system, professional identity, career planning, and related factors. The current status and influencing factors of job satisfaction were analyzed. A total of 793 valid questionnaires were collected, with an effective response rate of 97.06%. The results on job satisfaction and its influencing factors showed that the average score for job satisfaction was (3.14 ± 0.89), for the remuneration system dimension (3.02 ± 0.90), for the career planning dimension (2.96 ± 0.96), and for the professional identity dimension (3.38 ± 0.97). Using 3 as the midpoint, these scores indicate an overall moderate level of satisfaction. Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations among these factors, with the correlation between professional identity and job satisfaction being the most significant. A structural equation model was constructed, and after secondary fitting, the model fit indices met the standard criteria. The results indicated that career planning partially mediated the relationship between professional identity and job satisfaction, accounting for 20.25% of the total effect. The job satisfaction among healthcare workers at township health centers in Lanzhou City is at a moderate level. Professional identity not only directly influences job satisfaction but also indirectly affects it through career planning. In resource-constrained primary healthcare settings, the impact of professional identity and development expectations on job satisfaction appears to be more significant than material incentives alone. These findings provide context-specific insights into understanding the stability of the healthcare workforce in underdeveloped western regions.

The construction and extraction workforce has one of the highest male suicide death rates, and little research has examined this relationship. Data were collected online from 259 workers within the construction and extraction industry. Structured questionnaires were used to obtain information on the prevalence of career suicidal thoughts and behaviors, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and occupational correlates for suicidality. Prevalence estimates for suicidal ideation, plans, attempts, and NSSI were 38.60%, 9.40%, 4.00%, and 8.70%, and most were elevated compared to the general population. Participants who did not identify as heterosexual were more likely to have experienced career suicidal ideation and plans (χ 2 = 11.04). The construction and extraction workforce report a high career prevalence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and those who self-identify as a sexual minority may be at increased risk.

The career aspirations of young ophthalmologists are undergoing change. In addition to the traditional self-employment in private practice, new working models, such as salaried employment in amedical care center (MVZ), are becoming increasingly more important. The aim of the study was to gain insights into the career planning, job satisfaction and professional policy expectations of young ophthalmologists. Data collection took place between 16December 2024 and 1March 2025, using astandardized anonymous online questionnaire. The target group was doctors in ophthalmology training and ophthalmology specialists in the first 3years after the training period. In this study 236 people took part, 53 % were in specialist training, 24 % were employed as medical specialists, 43 % preferred self-employment in agroup practice, 25 % preferred employment in amedical care center and 19 % cited private practice as their preferred model. Decisive factors for setting up apractice are better organizational conditions, such as the removal of bureaucratic hurdles (62 %) and the reduction of financial risks, for example through recourse (56 %). Of those surveyed, 70 % would like to see practical training from the Professional Association of German Ophthalmologists (BVA), 42 % would like mentoring and 40 % would like networking opportunities with other colleagues. The results of our nationwide survey show that good working conditions and training opportunities are key concerns for young ophthalmologists. The preference of many respondents for self-employment underscores the need to reduce structural barriers to setting up aprivate practice.

Retaining competent employees has become a strategic challenge for large enterprise groups in China, yet the micro-level mechanisms through which corporate social responsibility (CSR) shapes talent stability remain under-specified. Drawing on social exchange and signaling logics, this study examines whether employee-perceived CSR promotes talent stability (TS) directly and indirectly through employee career planning support (ECP). Survey data were collected from 632 employees of a diversified enterprise group in Henan, China. The model was estimated using covariance-based structural equation modeling in AMOS 29, and the indirect effect was additionally checked with PROCESS 5.0 using 5,000 bias-corrected bootstrap resamples. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the measurement structure (RMSEA = .014; CFI = .996), with satisfactory reliability (CR = .887–.907) and broadly acceptable discriminant validity. Structural results indicate that CSR positively predicts ECP (β = .733) and TS (β = .504), and that ECP positively predicts TS (β = .380). A supplementary bootstrap analysis supported a significant indirect effect of CSR on TS through ECP (indirect = .2384; 95% CI [.1938, .2875]), indicating partial mediation. Overall, CSR appears to function as an employee-visible investment that strengthens perceived career support and, in turn, stability-oriented attachment.

Emergency physicians commonly receive feedback in the form of performance metrics such as patients seen per hour. Reviewing metrics has been associated with increased stress and burnout. Although effects on efficiency have been examined, studies have not yet investigated the potential psychological and motivational impacts of providing performance metrics to residents during training. In this study we explore residents' interest in receiving performance metrics during training and how receiving performance metrics might affect their 1) perceived pressure and motivation to change performance, 2) perspectives on the importance and actionability of metrics, 3) perceived readiness to receive metrics after graduation, and 4) possible effects on their postgraduate career plans. Senior emergency medicine residents at a single, quaternary-care training center completed an anonymous pre-metric survey using a 5-point Likert scale of agreement (1 = strongly agree, 5 = strongly disagree) on the psychological and motivational impacts of receiving performance metrics. All senior residents, regardless of survey completions, were then given the option to view their personal performance metrics in comparison to deidentified metrics for the senior classes. Residents who viewed their metrics were offered the opportunity to complete the post-metric survey, which was identical to the pre-metric survey. Resident interest in viewing their metrics was recorded, and we compared survey responses using unpaired t-tests. All 26 residents (100%) chose to view their metrics, 25 (96%) completed the pre-metrics survey and 17 (73%) completed the post-metrics survey. After receiving performance metrics, residents reported feeling less pressure to change their performance (pre-metrics mean 2.32 [standard deviation 0.80]), post-metrics mean 3.05 [0.71], P < .01), and they reported feeling more prepared to receive metrics after graduation (pre-metrics mean 2.32 [0.95], post-metrics mean 1.68 [0.58], P = .01]. There was no significant change in residents' responses to questions about metrics perceptions, motivation, or interest in administrative leadership after graduation. This single-site, academic study indicated that senior residents are interested in seeing their personalized and deidentified group performance metrics and that viewing these metrics increases their sense of preparedness for graduation without necessarily affecting the pressure or motivation they felt during training.

ABSTRACT While university-industry knowledge collaborations’ (UICs’) tangible outcomes have been extensively studied, UICs’ intangible outcomes and consequential perceived employability for students have largely been missed in the literature. This study aims to examine the relationships between UICs’ intangible outcomes for students, student engagement and students’ perceived employability with the incorporation of student engagement as a mediator. A survey was conducted with 535 students studying across different universities in Vietnam. The study found that UICs’ intangible outcomes, which were personal management skills, interpersonal skills and career planning, positively influenced student engagement, while student engagement positively influenced perceived employability. The study also demonstrated that student engagement mediated the relationships between personal management skills, interpersonal skills and career planning with perceived employability. Therefore, student engagement is a critical factor to convey the impact of UICs on perceived employability. The research findings can help universities, industries and governments realize an area of focus and priority if they want to improve the quality of education, future workforce and innovations.

BackgroundDental Public Health (DPH) plays a critical role in promoting oral health and addressing community needs, yet remains an unpopular career choice among dental graduates. Understanding students’ attitudes toward DPH is essential for strengthening the dental workforce in prevention-oriented fields, particularly in developing countries such as Egypt. The purpose of the study is to assess the attitudes of dental students in governmental and private universities in Egypt toward pursuing a career in DPH, and to examine how demographic characteristics, academic preferences, and opinions about the DPH subject relate to these attitudes.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among final-year dental students and interns from six Egyptian dental schools (three governmental, three private). A validated, adapted paper-based questionnaire was administered. Attitudes toward DPH were measured using a five-point Likert scale and categorized as positive, neutral, or negative. Chi-square tests were used to analyze associations between variables.ResultsA total of 393 students participated (response rate: 93.8%). Nearly half (49.9%) showed a positive attitude toward DPH. However, only 6.4% considered pursuing a career in the specialty. A few students (6.4%) favored DPH as an undergraduate subject, and 3.6% preferred it for postgraduate specialization. University type showed no significant association with attitude (P = 0.41), nor did gender or area of residence. However, regression analysis demonstrated that public university students were 1.7 times more likely to pursue a career in the specialty. About 51% of the students showed interest in serving the public and working in public service. Significant differences in future career plans were observed between students in governmental and private universities (P = 0.03).ConclusionEgyptian dental students generally exhibit positive attitudes toward DPH, yet few intend to pursue it as a career. Attitudes were not influenced by university type, gender, or area of residence, but were strongly shaped by students’ opinions of the subject of DPH in the undergraduate curriculum. Strengthening early exposure, enhancing practical components, and promoting the importance of DPH are strategies that have the potential to improve interest in this specialty.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-026-09280-x.

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed significant mental health burdens on essential non-government workers, who continued working despite heightened risks. While studies on frontline workers’ mental health exist, research on essential workers outside the government sector remains limited. This study examined the prevalence of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression, as well as their pandemic-related risk factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 436 essential non-government workers in the Philippines using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression. Results showed high prevalence rates of psychological distress, generalized anxiety, and depression. Those experiencing psychological distress were more likely to be female, younger (≤33 years), and without a partner and have difficulties interacting with colleagues. Similarly, higher anxiety levels were associated with being female and struggling with workplace interactions. Depression was more common among those who were female, younger (≤33 years), and without a partner; had fewer years of work experience; and faced delays in career planning. These findings highlight the importance of assessing mental health prevalence and risk factors to develop appropriate interventions for this specific population.

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 desertsMethods: A computer-assisted web interviewing questionnaire study was conducted anonymously with students in their first, third and sixth year of medicine at the Medical University of Warsaw. 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. Motivations for the selection of the medical profession of young people can be divided into those related to the profession and those connected with private life, expected salaries or time management. For some respondents, the most significant incentive was the prospect of work in the area of science (research motivations); for others it was 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). 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.