Abstract / Summary
BackgroundIn recent years, the training for public health and preventive medicine graduates has expanded, and job positions have been reorganized, which may affect graduates’ job matching and subjective experiences. However, systematic evidence remains limited. This study evaluates the level, structure, and determinants of employment satisfaction among Guangxi Medical University graduates from 2021 to 2024, and suggests priorities for improvement based on these findings.MethodsWe surveyed graduates online from February to August 2025 using a cross-sectional design. Of 243 submitted questionnaires, 49 had the same response to all 17 dimension-specific satisfaction items and were excluded. We analyzed the remaining 194 questionnaires; a separate 5-point item measured overall employment and development satisfaction. We examined associations using proportional odds ordinal logistic regression and used the 17 dimension-specific items for an exploratory Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA). Supplementary checks included prespecified model diagnostics, bootstrap analyses, alternative outcome coding, exclusion of respondents in further study or postdoctoral positions, and false-discovery-rate adjustment of univariable tests.ResultsOverall satisfaction was low for 5.7% of respondents, average for 39.7%, and relatively high or very high for 54.6%. In the primary model, older age was associated with higher satisfaction (adjusted OR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.02–1.34; p = 0.027). Respondents who rated university career guidance as neutral or not helpful had lower odds of higher satisfaction (adjusted OR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.26–0.81; p = 0.008). Both associations had the same direction in the three-level ordinal model and after excluding 25 respondents in further study or postdoctoral positions. The exploratory IPA identified career development opportunities, the contribution of internships or practica to employability, and effort-reward fairness as areas for further study. Several quadrant assignments, however, had limited bootstrap stability.ConclusionJust over half of respondents reported relatively high or very high satisfaction. Older age and more favorable retrospective ratings of university career guidance were associated with higher satisfaction. The cross-sectional data cannot establish the direction of these relationships or support causal conclusions. The exploratory IPA classifications require confirmation in larger, multicenter samples before they are used to guide interventions.