The role of direct single monetary grants in residents’ choice of field of residency

Abstract

Background: In an attempt to address severe medical manpower shortages in several medical disciplines, the Israeli Ministry of Health offered grants to residents who chose one of these fields.

Methods: A total of 220 residents from various disciplines were surveyed on demographic, academic, and professional data, and asked to rank considerations in the choice of their field of residency.

Results: Residents in targeted fields attributed significantly more importance to the grant in their decision-making process (U = 3704.5, p < 0.001). This effect remained significant in a multivariate model (OR 1.67, 95%CI 1.32–2.10, p < 0.001). Higher age (OR 1.15, 95%CI 1.01–1.31, p = 0.031) and attribution of significance to the working conditions compared to other residency fields (OR 1.69, 95%CI 1.23–2.32, p = 0.001) were significantly associated with receptivity toward the grant in a multivariate analysis.

Discussion: Receptivity toward the offered grants correlated with real-life data shows a rise in physician in these fields, and the weak association between such receptivity and most variables tested may suggest that the grants were perceived as a property of the specific choice rather than a special bonus.

Conclusions: Grants may be useful in diverting medical manpower. Further analysis and modeling are required to determine causal relationship and budgetary feasibility.

Acknowledgements

This work was done as part of the primary authors’ (YW) master’s degree in health administration in the school of public health and health systems administration, department of management, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Notes on contributors

Yishay Wasserstrum, MD, is a resident in internal medicine in Internal Medicine Department "T" in the Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Tel-Ha'Shomer. This work was done as part of master?s degree in health administration in the school of public health and health systems administration, department of management, Bar-Ilan University. Dr. Wasserstrum conceptualized and designed the study, acquired and interpreted the data, drafted the initial manuscript, revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript.

Racheli Magnezi, PhD, MBA, MHA, is head of the Public Health and Health Systems Management Program in the Department of Management, Bar Ilan University. Dr. Magnezi contributed to the conceptualization, design and revision of the manuscript.

Ofer Tamir, MD, MHA, is the Deputy General Director in the Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Poria. Dr. Tamir contributed greatly to data acquisition.

Stav Koren, MD, is a graduate of the Goldman School of Medicine in Ben-Gurion University. Dr. Koren contributed greatly to data acquisition.

Dor Lotan, MD, is a resident in internal medicine in Internal Medicine Department "T" in the Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Tel-Ha'Shomer. Dr. Lotan contributed greatly to data acquisition.

Arnon Afek, MD, MHA, is the Medical Deputy Director General in the Israeli Minister of Health and professor of pathology in the Sackler School of Medicine in Tel-Aviv University. Prof. Afek contributed to the conceptualization, design and revision of the manuscript.