The shortage of doctors is worsening in Ukraine: the number of vacancies has almost doubled

Ukraine is facing a growing shortage of medical professionals. Despite rising salaries, the number of job advertisements in medicine and pharmacy on job sites has almost doubled. The reasons include migration of specialists, mobilization processes, and a long training period for new personnel.

There is a shortage of doctors, and it is impossible to train new ones quickly

One of the key problems of the labor market remains that medical professions require many years of training. Unlike some other areas, it is practically impossible to close the shortage of workers with the help of short retraining programs.

Maria Abdulina, head of the OLX Work department, notes that the shortage of personnel is formed under the influence of several factors at once – in particular, migration and mobilization processes. At the same time, the need for doctors during wartime remains especially high due to the need to treat and restore both military and civilian personnel.

Salaries of doctors increased by 20%

The median salary in the category “Medicine / Pharmaceuticals” increased by 20% – from 16,700 to 20,000 hryvnias.

Among the most sought-after workers are dentists, nurses, pharmacists, orderlies, pharmacy managers and paramedics. Employers are also looking for dental technicians, rehabilitation specialists, speech therapists, carers and physician assistants.

The highest median salary among the listed professions is recorded for paramedics – 28,625 hryvnias. Pharmacists are offered an average of 25,250 hryvnias, dentists and their assistants – 24,500 hryvnias, nurses – 14,250 hryvnias, and paramedics – 12,500 hryvnias.

Medical specialties did not make it to the top 10 among entrants

The problem may also be exacerbated by the situation with the training of future specialists. In 2026, almost 1.2 million applications were submitted to Ukrainian higher education institutions, but medical specialties did not enter the top ten most popular areas among entrants. Management received the most applications — 105,301.

At the same time, according to the Ministry of Health, as of August 13, 15% more entrants were enrolled in medical institutions of higher education under state orders than last year. For certain specialties, the state is also increasing the volume of state orders in view of the needs of the labor market in wartime conditions.

Rector of the O.O. Bogomolets National Medical University Yuriy Kuchyn draws attention to the fact that not only the number of trained specialists is important, but also how many graduates remain to work in their profession and how long they continue to work in medicine.

Thus, the increase in salaries in itself does not yet solve the problem of the shortage of medical workers. The industry needs not only an increase in student enrollment, but also conditions that will allow retaining already trained specialists in the profession.