Migration Intent Among Early-Career Doctors in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study of Influencing Factors at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the prevalence of migration intent among interns and residents at a tertiary care institution in Pakistan and to identify perception-based factors associated with this intent. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted at PNS Shifa Hospital using a structured, self-administered Google Form questionnaire (Google Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA). A total of 252 participants (house officers and postgraduate trainees) were recruited. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics software, version 27 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression were applied to identify significant factors of migration intent. Results: Out of 252 participants, 52% expressed a preference for postgraduate training abroad, with the United Kingdom (54.2%), the Middle East (16.8%), and the United States (15.3%) being the most preferred destinations. Key push factors included low salary (65.6%), poor working conditions (53.4%), and unemployment (46.6%). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that perception of better quality of life (OR = 1.91, p = 0.015), improved training opportunities (OR = 1.77, p = 0.024), and a better working environment (OR = 1.95, p = 0.010) were significant predictors of migration intent. Conclusion: This study provides institution-level evidence on migration intent among early-career doctors, highlighting the role of perception-driven factors in shaping career decisions. A substantial proportion of participants expressed an intention to pursue postgraduate training abroad, primarily due to perceived socioeconomic and training-related advantages abroad. These findings may inform institutional-level retention strategies and highlight areas for further multicenter and longitudinal research.