https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6451-2211
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ABSTRACT
Background
The migration of health professionals from Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) to High-Income countries (HICs) is an ongoing phenomenon that has been accelerating with globalisation. While there has been growing research around the migration of physicians and nurses, there is less understanding of the motives surrounding the migration of dentists, and even less about their migration from specific countries.
Objectives
This qualitative study explores the migration motivations of Iranian dentists who have moved to Canada.
Methods
Semi-structured interviews of 18 Iranian-trained dentists in Canada were conducted to obtain information about their motives for migration. Interviews were coded and categorised into themes using qualitative thematic analysis.
Results
Motivations to migrate were grouped into four analytical areas: socio-political; economic; professional; and personal. An inverse relationship was identified between the strongest motives to migrate and the topics respondents were least comfortable discussing. Socio-political-related motives were predominant with respondents focusing on their dissatisfaction with the social ethos and restrictions on personal freedom within Iran.
Conclusion
Country-specific context is critical to fully understand health professional migration; in particular, the dynamics and interplay between socio-political, economic, and professional/personal factors within the home country. While Iranian dentists’ motives to migrate have some similarities to other health professionals who migrated from Iran, and dentists from other countries, differences need to be considered to fully understand migration patterns.
Responsible Editor Maria Emmelin
Responsible Editor Maria Emmelin
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to highly acknowledge Dr. Carlos Quinonez for his kind assistance during various stages of this study. We are also grateful for all the participants who shared their opinions with us.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Authors contributions
Sara Hajian collected the data, performed the analysis, and wrote the paper. Mohammad-Pooyan Jadidfard conceived and designed the analysis and contributed to the analysis and writing the paper. Shahram Yazdani and Mohammad-Hossein Khoshnevisan designed and conceptualised the study, contributed to data analysis and editing the paper. Glen Randall contributed to the analysis and editing of the final manuscript.
Ethics and consent
The university approval was obtained for all interviews in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008.
Paper context
Large numbers of health professionals have been migrating from low-income to high-income countries. While there is some research around the rationale and subsequent experiences of physicians, little is known about why dentists migrate, and almost nothing about why dentists from Iran migrate. This paper helps fill that gap by providing insights into why Iranian dentists migrate to Canada and identifies what makes them different from other health professionals and, in particular, dentists from other countries.