Factors Influencing Medical Interns' Volunteering at a United Arab Emirates (UAE) Tertiary Care Institution

Background  Volunteering among medical interns is an understudied area with implications for personal, professional, and community development. The motivations and barriers influencing intern participation vary and remain insufficiently characterised, particularly within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. This study addresses this gap by examining factors that motivate and hinder volunteering among medical interns at Dubai Health. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to February 2024. Data were collected via an online self-administered questionnaire adapted from a validated tool. The target population comprised medical interns at Dubai Health enrolled during the cohort period of August 2023 to August 2024. A sample size of 63 was calculated using a 95% confidence level, a 5% margin of error, and an anticipated response rate of 90%. Data were analysed using Excel (Microsoft® Corp., Redmond, WA). Results  The survey was completed by 65 medical interns, of whom 55 (84.6%) reported prior volunteering experience and 10 (15.4%) had no prior involvement. Among those with prior experience, 85.5% (n=47) had engaged in medical volunteering and 52.7% (n=29) in non-medical activities; some interns participated in both. The most frequently cited motivations among volunteers (n=55) were serving the community (92.7%, n=51), seeking experiences for residency applications or career development (67.3%, n=37), and skill enhancement (63.6%, n=35). Among the 10 non-volunteers, the principal barriers were heavy workload or time constraints and lack of awareness of volunteering opportunities, each reported by 90.0% (n=9). As participants could select multiple options, percentages may exceed 100%. Conclusion Medical interns at Dubai Health demonstrate high rates of volunteering, driven primarily by community service and career-related motivations. Among non-volunteers, workload and lack of awareness are the predominant barriers. Targeted institutional support and improved communication about available opportunities may increase participation.