Values of future healthcare specialists in wartime in Ukraine

Aim: The aim of the study is to define the values typical for medical students by analysing the career choice motivations in wartime in Ukraine.

Materials and Methods: Overview, Data Retrieval and Thematic Analysis (Braun&Clarke) methods were used. The total of 45 students' essays were analysed in the study.

Results: The professional values of future healthcare specialists in Ukraine in wartime have been defined: restoring health, believing in recovery, recovering the joy of life, helping the military (rehabilitation students); alleviating suffering, respecting dignity, giving people hope, helping them overcome illness (medical students); supporting people who have experienced trauma, providing psychological support in life hardships (clinical psychology students); health and beauty care, volunteer dental care for the military (dentist students). It is established that the frequency of mentions in student essays about the war as a factor in the development of medicine in present Ukraine and the military who need assistance in restoring health/rehabilitation is quite the same as the frequency of mentions of the concept of "compassion" as an important professional value of future healthcare specialists.

Conclusions: To support and develop professional values of medical students (empathy, compassion), implementing courses that help improve awareness of the role of healthcare specialists in wartime into medical school curricula is recommended; as well as to cooperate with institutions that take care for socially vulnerable groups of the population and persons affected by war; and to expand the system of mental health support for students.