THE OCCUPATIONAL INTEGRATION OF FORMER SOVIET PHYSICIANS IN ISRAEL

This paper reports the findings of a five-year, three-stage study of t he occupational status persistence of 333 physicians who immigrated to Israel from the Former Soviet Union in 1990. The first data collectio n, by way of a structured questionnaire in Russian, was undertaken in 1991, during their participation in preparatory courses for the medica l licensure examination.The second and third stages of data collection were undertaken by mail in 1993 and 1995. Data are presented regardin g the influence of gender and age on employment status and on the rela tionship between employment status and psyche-social well-being, inclu ding work and general satisfaction, self-esteem mood, health and overa ll adaptation, at both stages. The dynamics of occupational integratio n are investigated by looking at the effects of occupational stability vs occupational change between stage 2 and;stage 3 on the psyche-soci al outcome variables. After three years in Israel, men were more likel y to be working as physicians than women, and women were more likely t o be unemployed. However, after five years, women were equally likely to have found work in their profession, albeit in lower status positio ns. Younger respondents were more successful than older respondents in passing the licensure examination, finding work in their profession, and entering residency programs.The gap between them did not close bet ween stage 2 and stage 3. At both stage 2 and stage 3, those working a s physicians had significantly more positive well-being scores than th ose not working as physicians. All occupational groups had more positi ve scores at stage 3 than at stage 2, except for those who were workin g in non-medically related jobs. The greatest improvement in psyche-so cial well-being was among those who became physicians between stage 2 and stage 3, compared to those who were not physicians at either stage and those who were physicians at both stages. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scien ce Ltd. All rights reserved.