Introduction
Over the past decade, Turkey has experienced a growing brain drain trend among medical students. Increasing numbers of medical students are considering studying, training, and building their careers abroad rather than remaining in Turkey. The major drivers of this trend can be linked to economic difficulties such as low wages, poor living standards, and limited expectations for a better future. In addition, educational and professional opportunities abroad encourage many medical students to consider careers overseas. Greater access to research funding, advanced medical technologies, specialised training opportunities, and more favourable working conditions make foreign healthcare systems increasingly attractive to future healthcare professionals. This article argues that both economic and professional factors play a significant role in encouraging Turkish medical students to seek opportunities abroad. As a result, Turkey risks losing valuable human capital to countries that offer greater career opportunities and higher standards of living. By examining the main drivers of this trend, this article aims to provide insights that may help policymakers develop strategies to reduce the emigration of future healthcare professionals.
Economic Challenges and Low Living Standards
Economic and living conditions remain significant drivers of brain drain among medical students in Turkey. Low wages, poor living standards, and a widespread sense of pessimism about future prospects encourage numerous medical students to consider studying and working abroad. According to OECD indicators assessing living standards, job security, wages, and overall prosperity, Turkey ranked second from last among OECD member states, receiving a score of 3.2 out of 10 (Atmaca, 2020, p. 281). These figures suggest that concerns regarding quality of life and economic security are not limited to medical students, but reflect a broader trend within Turkish society. This relatively poor performance is reflected in migration patterns. In 2017, 253,640 people emigrated from Turkey due to economic, political, and social reasons, marking a 42.5% increase compared to the previous year (Atmaca, 2020, p. 282). This reveals that migration intentions are shaped not solely by wage expectations but also by broader concerns regarding quality of life and long-term economic security.
According to a study conducted by Turkish academics last year, 57% of the nursing students considered moving abroad, with 20.2% preferring Germany. The main reasons for their desire to migrate included poor living conditions (11.1%), economic problems (22.9%), and unfavorable working conditions (8.3%) (Berşe et al., 2025). According to a survey conducted by Turkish medical professionals, medical students believe that they would not receive the salary they deserve in Turkey and would experience a lower standard of living than their colleagues working abroad (Çalışkan et al., 2023). This suggests that economic and quality-of-life concerns play a significant role in shaping migration intentions among nursing students in Turkey.
In addition to economic factors, many students identified a more organised and predictable way of life as an important consideration (Çalışkan et al., 2023). However, they do not believe that such conditions could be achieved in Turkey. All in all, economic difficulties and low living standards continue to push many talented medical students abroad. As a result, Turkey is losing valuable human capital, and it remains uncertain whether these future healthcare professionals will ever return.
Educational and Professional Challenges
Beyond economic motivations, educational and professional opportunities abroad represent another important factor shaping medical students’ migration intentions. Research suggests that competitive academic institutions and substantial investment in scientific research are among the factors that make foreign countries attractive destinations for highly skilled migrants (Pazarcık, 2010). Additionally, concerns about violence in healthcare settings, stressful working environments, and excessive workload remain important factors encouraging migration (Sancak et al., 2023).
According to a survey conducted by Turkish academics, 29.7% of medical students expressed a desire to pursue residency training abroad (Çalışkan et al., 2023). Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada were identified as the most preferred destinations, while 25.3% of respondents stated that they intended to settle abroad permanently (Çalışkan et al., 2023). These findings suggest that migration intentions among medical students are shaped not only by economic concerns but also by the desire for better educational and professional opportunities. In the same survey, it is also reported that modern medical technologies and increased specialization of health professionals are essential considerations for relocating abroad (Çalışkan et al., 2023). Consistently, other studies from Turkey have found that 73.3% of nursing students revealed their intention to work abroad after graduation (Berşe et al., 2025, p. 7). Similarly, field research interviews conducted by Krieger and Maitre (2006) in various countries reveal that Turkey ranks first in terms of having the highest number of highly educated people who intend to migrate elsewhere.
Conclusion
Ultimately, Turkey has experienced an increasing brain drain trend among medical students over the past decade, with many medical students seeking to pursue their education and careers abroad rather than remaining in Turkey. Economic challenges such as low wages, long-term financial insecurity, poor living conditions, and limited optimism about the future have become major drivers of this trend. At the same time, available opportunities abroad including high-quality specialist training, better career prospects, improved working conditions, and higher standards of living also continue to attract many future healthcare professionals. By examining the main factors behind this trend, this article has sought to provide useful insights that may help policymakers in Turkey develop more effective strategies and reduce the migration of medical students. Otherwise, Turkey risks continuing to lose its valuable human capital and a significant portion of its future healthcare workforce. If these challenges remain unaddressed, Turkey may face increasing difficulties in retaining the highly skilled healthcare professionals needed for its future healthcare system.
References
Atmaca, T. (2020) ‘An examination of academically successful secondary school students’ aspirations with regard to potential human capital flight (brain drain)’, International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 7(1), pp. 280-299. Available at: https://doi.org/10.33200/ijcer.708765.
Berşe, S., Karacan, E., Zivdir Yeşılyurt, P. and Güngörmüş, Z. (2025) ‘Impact of hopelessness on migration intentions of nursing students: a path analysis’, BMC Nursing, 24(1), p. 29. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02667-5.
Çalışkan, S.A., Tümer, U.R. and Karaca, O. (2023) ‘Increasing trend of studying abroad for residency training among medical students’, SAGE Open, 13(3). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231195419.
Krieger, H. and Maitre, B. (2006) ‘Migration trends in an enlarging European Union’, Turkish Studies, 7(1), pp. 45-66. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/14683840500520584.
Pazarcık, S. (2010) Beyin göçü olgusu ve Amerika Birleşik Devletleri üniversitelerinde çalışan Türk sosyal bilimciler üzerine bir araştırma [Brain drain and Turkish social scientists working at universities in the United States]. Master’s thesis. Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University.
Sancak, B., Selek, S.N. and Sarı, E. (2023) ‘Depression, anxiety, stress levels and five-factor personality traits as predictors of clinical medical students’ migration intention: a cross-sectional study of brain drain’, International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 38(4), pp. 1015-1031. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.3646.
