ROMANIAN RETURNEE DOCTORS – A STUDY ON THE REASONS AND MOTIVATIONS OF THE RETURN
ROMANIAN RETURNEE DOCTORS – A STUDY ON THE REASONS AND MOTIVATIONS OF THE RETURN

Summary/Abstract: THE MIGRATION OF PEOPLE FROM ROMANIA IN THE POST-COMMUNIST PERIOD IS A TOPIC OF EXHAUSTIVE RESEARCH IN THE SPECIALIZED LITERATURE. NEVERTHELESS, RE-MIGRATION IS A TOPIC THAT IS RARELY TOUCHED UPON. THIS RESEARCH FOCUSES ON THE PHENOMENON OF REMIGRATION OF HIGHLY QUALIFIED ROMANIAN CITIZENS, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY OF DOCTORS. A PRIVILEGED SPACE IN THE RESEARCH IS GIVEN TO THE MEDICAL SYSTEM AND PUBLIC HEALTH, WHICH ARE THREATENED BY THE PHENOMENON OF MIGRATION OF DOCTORS. IN THE CONTEXT OF BRAIN DRAIN, DOCTORS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE SPECIALIZED LITERATURE AS A SEPARATE CATEGORY, GIVEN THE PROFOUND IMPACT THEIR MIGRATION HAS ON THE NATIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM AND INDIRECTLY ON THE HEALTH AND THE PHYSICAL WELLBEING OF THE ENTIRE POPULATION. BASED ON A GROUNDED THEORY METHODOLOGY, INCLUDING SEMI-STRUCTURED AND OPENENDED INTERVIEWS WITH RE-MIGRATED DOCTORS, MY RESEARCH EXPLAINS THE MECHANISMS THAT DRIVE MIGRATION, AS WELL AS REMIGRATION OF DOCTORS. AS MY RESEARCH SHOWS, THE REASONS BEHIND DOCTORS’ DECISION TO LEAVE LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (LIKE ROMANIA) FOR A FRESH START IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, RANGE FROM POOR WORKING CONDITIONS, POOR PAY AND SOCIO-POLITICAL INSTABILITY. NEVERTHELESS, ONCE ABROAD DOCTORS’ FEEL FRUSTRATED BY “REMAINING THE ROMANIAN DOCTOR”, FEELING THAT THEY CANNOT COMPLETELY FLOURISH IN THEIR NEW INSTITUTIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT, HENCE THE POTENTIAL FOR STIMULATING RE-MIGRATION. I CONCLUDE THAT RESTORING PUBLIC HEALTH SECURITY CAN BE DONE BY STIMULATING REMIGRATION AND BY OFFERING SUPPORT SERVICES TO RETURNING DOCTORS.

• Details
• Contents