A considerable proportion of medical professionals in Switzerland are contemplating leaving their profession. According to an estimate by FMH from 2016, 10% of practicing doctors leave the profession before retirement. A survey by swimsa (Swiss medical students association) revealed that around 30% of medical students consider not staying in the profession long-term after their first clinical experience. The most recently published results of the SCOHPICA study showed that 20% of practicing doctors are considering leaving the profession.

The individual decision of doctors to remain in or leave the profession can be influenced by various factors. International literature distinguishes between "intention to leave" (attrition factors) and "intention to stay" (retention factors) when studying professionals leaving the healthcare sector. Furthermore, a distinction is made between leaving the current training position, the medical profession, and the healthcare sector as a whole.

With a nationwide survey of doctors, we aimed to identify the proportion of potential leavers and learn about their motivations. Additionally, we examined internationally recognized "attrition and retention factors" and Switzerland-specific factors . We were particularly investigating the influence of working conditions and the educational culture in residency training  in Switzerland. The results shall inform about recommendations to retain doctors in  the Swiss healthcare system. First results are expected in Spring 2025.

Survey

The anonymous survey was conducted in German, French and Italian and distributed to SIWF e-logbook users. Furthermore, the survey was shared via newsletter of vsao/asmac. The survey was conducted from October – November 2024.

Goals

With this survey, we aimed to

• Identify the potential dropout rate among residents in training in Switzerland
• Determine which factors promote residents completing their specialist training and subsequently working clinically in Switzerland
• Formulate  recommendations to retain doctors in the Swiss healthcare system