Emigration intentions of Egyptian medical students and early career physicians and their association with workplace violence

Abstract Background Egypt faces a critical physician shortage, exacerbated by emigration. It also reports one of the highest Workplace Violence (WPV) rates among Healthcare Workers (HCWs) in Africa (61.9%), with adverse effects on healthcare quality. However, the link between emigration intentions and WPV remains underexplored. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of emigration intentions among Egyptian medical students and early-career physicians and their association with WPV exposure. Methods A multicentric, cross-sectional study was conducted across 35 Egyptian universities. Data was collected from June to December 2024 using an online questionnaire covering sociodemographics, WPV, and emigration intentions. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling. Association between WPV and emigration intentions was tested using Chi-square test and multivariate binary logistic regression. Results Among 1,134 participants, 68.7% expressed emigration intentions. WPV exposure was reported by 72.3% of early-career physicians (n = 553) and 35.6% of medical students (n = 581). For medical students, emigration intentions were associated with witnessing WPV perpetrated by patients and senior physicians (both p < 0.05). Among early-career physicians, emigration intentions were linked to feelings of unsafety and exposure to WPV by patients and other HCWs ( p < 0.05). Significant predictors of emigration intentions included students’ witnessing of senior-perpetrated WPV (AOR: 1.69) and early-career physicians’ exposure to HCWs-perpetrated WPV (AOR: 1.82). Conclusion This study found a high prevalence of WPV exposure and emigration intentions among Egyptian medical students and early-career physicians. The significant association between WPV and emigration intentions necessitates WPV preventive measures to decrease emigration rates and the strain on Egypt’s healthcare system.