CAREER INTENTIONS OF PHYSIOTHERAPY AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY STUDENTS IN UKRAINE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Despite a significant number of graduates in the specialty of "Therapy and Rehabilitation" (a common specialty for students of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and their assistants in Ukraine), there are still hundreds of vacancies for these specialists in state and municipal healthcare facilities and existing demand for personnel remains unmet. Moreover, there is still limited understanding of the intentions and motivation of students in this field.The purpose of our research is to determine the intentions of students majoring in "Therapy and Rehabilitation" regarding their future professional pathways. Materials and methods. The study had a cross-sectional design. The data collection was conducted in May 2024 through an online survey of students of the specialty "Therapy and Rehabilitation" of all years of study.Results. We analyzed data from 340 respondents from 10 higher education institutions in Ukraine. Only 58% of respondents were ready to work in state or municipal healthcare facilities. 28% of respondents intended to use non-evidence-based rehabilitation methods, such as osteopathy or energy manipulation. More than half of the respondents were dissatisfied with the quality of knowledge and skills obtained at the university. Orthopedic rehabilitation was selected by 51% of respondents, while other areas, including oncology, burns and intensive care units, were selected by less than 10%.Conclusions. The unmet staffing needs in municipal and state facilities may indicate that specialists seek independent practice or better working conditions than those currently available at these institutions. Furthermore, the limited commitment of students to scientific and evidence-based practices could worsen the ongoing shortage of qualified personnel. It will be important to implement changes in the training program to encourage students’ interest both in evidence-based practice and engagement in less popular fields.