engleski

Employment outcomes among junior researchers in medicine in Croatia

Aim was to investigate emplyoment outcomes among junior researchers in medicine who were supported by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Republic of Croatia. Data on junior researchers whose support was terminated between 1999 and 2005 was used in this study. Employment outcomes and the scientific productivity based on the number of published articles that were indexed in the Web of Science database were analyzed for every junior researcher. The data were analyzed using chi-square test, Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Breslow test and logistic regression. Only 12% of junior researchers managed to obtain a PhD degree during fellowship. At the same time, 55% of junior researchers with an MD degree dropped out from the fellowship and got employed in the health system during the same month. The dropping-and-employing within the health system in same month was the most common among junior researchers who were employed by the clinics and hospitals (odds ratio 7.78, 95% confidence intervals 2.22-27.24), and less common among women junior researchers (0.50, 0.28-0.90). This study suggests that junior researchers in medicine commonly used their fellowship as a short-term employment. The direct consequence of this is the low percent of obtained PhD degrees during the fellowship duration. Additionally, this article provides insight into the current status and future of junio researchers in medicine, with special remark given to the potential changes that might occur as the consequence of the physician shortage in Croatia.

junior researcher; doctoral degree; scientific production; employment; human resources

nije evidentirano