Career Satisfaction Among Doctors in A Tertiary Setting in Nigeria: A descriptive cross-sectional study

Background Career satisfaction among physicians is an important determinant of healthcare quality, physician retention, and health system performance. In many low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria, workload, limited resources, and systemic challenges negatively influence doctors’ professional satisfaction. This study aimed to assess the level of career satisfaction and its determinants among doctors working in a tertiary healthcare institution in Abakaliki, Nigeria. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among doctors at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire adapted from the Physician Worklife Survey and the 4CornerSat instrument. Career satisfaction was assessed using Likert-scale measures, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results The mean age of respondents was 37.5 ± 8.9 years, with most aged 35–44 years (50.0%). The majority were male (71.7%) and married (67.9%). Overall, 44.9% of doctors reported career satisfaction, while 55.1% were dissatisfied. Satisfaction increased with age, reaching 83.3% among doctors older than 54 years. Female doctors reported slightly higher satisfaction (48.1%) compared to males (43.9%). Satisfaction varied across specialties, with the highest levels observed in Ophthalmology (81.8%), Radiology (60.0%), and Family Medicine (55.0%), while the lowest levels were recorded in ENT (16.7%), Psychiatry (28.6%), and Pathology (30.0%). Key factors associated with satisfaction included work–life balance (57.0%), career advancement (62.9%), and relationships with other physicians (83.3%), whereas major sources of dissatisfaction included earnings (77.6%), limited access to clinical resources (73.3%), and challenges in organizing community treatment programs (67.7%). Conclusion Career satisfaction among doctors in this tertiary institution was low and influenced by systemic challenges such as remuneration and resource constraints. Addressing these factors is essential for improving physician wellbeing and strengthening healthcare workforce retention.