# The burden of choice: decision regret in subspecialty selection among young and middle-aged doctors

## TL;DR

This study explores how young and middle-aged Chinese doctors feel about their subspecialty choices, finding that nearly 20% experience high regret, influenced by factors like burnout and job satisfaction.

## Contribution

The study identifies key predictors of decision regret in subspecialty selection among physicians, including burnout, job satisfaction, and resilience.

## Key findings

- 9.4% of physicians reported high decision regret regarding subspecialty selection.
- Burnout was a significant predictor of higher regret, while job satisfaction and resilience reduced it.
- Younger male physicians with higher professional titles were more likely to experience regret.

## Abstract

Subspecialty choice plays a pivotal role in physicians’ career satisfaction and professional trajectory. However, decision regret regarding subspecialty selection has been underexplored, despite its potential impact on well-being and retention.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 615 young and middle-aged physicians (aged 25–55) from secondary and tertiary hospitals in China. Participants completed an online questionnaire including the Decision Regret Scale (DRS), a simplified Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Statistical analyses involved ANOVA, Spearman’s correlation, and multivariate linear regression to identify factors associated with decision regret.

Among participants, 9.4% reported high regret, 37.6% moderate regret, and 53.0% low regret. Higher regret was significantly associated with male gender (P = 0.039), younger age (P = 0.019), and higher professional title (P = 0.003). Regression analysis revealed that greater burnout (B = 1.521, P < 0.001) predicted higher regret, while higher job satisfaction (B = − 0.339, P < 0.001) and resilience (B = − 0.588, P = 0.001) were protective factors.

Nearly one in five young and middle-aged Chinese physicians experience high regret in subspecialty choice, influenced by gender, age, burnout, satisfaction, and resilience. Targeted interventions addressing these factors may mitigate regret and enhance physician well-being and retention.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-026-08858-9.