BMC Med Educ. 2026 Feb 24. doi: 10.1186/s12909-026-08858-9. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Subspecialty choice plays a pivotal role in physicians’ career satisfaction and professional trajectory. However, decision regret regarding subspecialty selection has been underexplored, despite its potential impact on well-being and retention.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 615 young and middle-aged physicians (aged 25-55) from secondary and tertiary hospitals in China. Participants completed an online questionnaire including the Decision Regret Scale (DRS), a simplified Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Statistical analyses involved ANOVA, Spearman’s correlation, and multivariate linear regression to identify factors associated with decision regret.
RESULTS: Among participants, 9.4% reported high regret, 37.6% moderate regret, and 53.0% low regret. Higher regret was significantly associated with male gender (P = 0.039), younger age (P = 0.019), and higher professional title (P = 0.003). Regression analysis revealed that greater burnout (B = 1.521, P < 0.001) predicted higher regret, while higher job satisfaction (B = – 0.339, P < 0.001) and resilience (B = – 0.588, P = 0.001) were protective factors.
CONCLUSION: Nearly one in five young and middle-aged Chinese physicians experience high regret in subspecialty choice, influenced by gender, age, burnout, satisfaction, and resilience. Targeted interventions addressing these factors may mitigate regret and enhance physician well-being and retention.
PMID:41735953 | DOI:10.1186/s12909-026-08858-9
