BACKGROUND: To explore the effects of fee paying status on migration intentions of Ghanaian medical students.DESIGN: Cross sectional questionnaire based survey.SETTING: All established Ghanaian medical schools with students in their clinical years.PARTICIPANTS: Fee-paying and non-fee-paying Ghanaian medical students in their clinical years.None.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Migration intentions of Ghanaian medical students after graduation, Allegiance to Government of Ghana.RESULTS: Approximately half (49%) of the medical students surveyed had intentions of migrating after school. Over 48% of those with migration intentions plan on doing so immediately after completing their house job, while 44% plan to migrate at least one year after their house job. The most popular destination chosen by the potential migrant doctors was North America (38%). Fee-paying students were significantly more likely (OR=2.11, CI=1.32, 3.38) than non-fee-paying students to have intentions of migrating after their training. Secondly, fee-paying students were more likely (OR=9.66, CI=4.42, 21.12) than non-fee paying students to feel they owe no allegiance to the Government of Ghana because of their fee-paying status.CONCLUSIONS: Medical Students' fee-paying status affects their intentions to migrate and their allegiance to the country after completion of their training.

fee paying medical students allegiance Migration intention

Costs and Cost Analysis cost economics human Education, Medical Ghana Cross-Sectional Studies Surveys and Questionnaires Young Adult cross-sectional study Humans male female Behavior questionnaire medical education Intention adult migration Emigration and Immigration Students, Medical medical student