Job satisfaction and self-perceptions among Ecuadorian medical doctors during their compulsory rural community social service. A countrywide cross-sectional analysis

Objective: To describe the level of job satisfaction and perceptions of recently graduated Ecuadorian physicians regarding compulsory social service. Methodology A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted based on a self-administered online questionnaire from February to March 2022, in recently graduated Ecuadorian physicians who were performing their compulsory social service. Participants were invited through official outreach groups. A total of 247 surveys were included in this study. We assessed job satisfaction by means of the S20/23 job satisfaction questionnaire and compared these results with sociodemographic variables and job characteristics of the participants. We performed the reliability test (Cronbach's alpha) to find the validity of the S20/23 questionnaire in physicians performing compulsory social service. Results The majority of participants were women (61.0%), and overall job satisfaction was 4.1/7.0 pts. "indifferent". The only satisfaction factor in which a predominance of dissatisfaction was found related to benefits/remuneration (43.3%). Participants' perceptions of wrong academic guidance during training, insufficient induction, and negative experiences during work were related to higher levels of dissatisfaction (p < 0.05). Conclusion The level of job satisfaction of recently graduated Ecuadorian physicians during their compulsory social service was low and graduates indicated a neutral attitude towards job satisfaction in general. Negative perceptions with respect to training and expectation formation prior to and during the mandatory social service generated greater dissatisfaction. The Ministry of Health of Ecuador, as an organizational entity, should implement improvements to increase the job satisfaction of recently graduated physicians, given the implications that this experience may have for their professional future.