Relevance. A shortage of medical personnel, coupled with a growing need for medical care, has traditionally been one of the most pressing challenges facing healthcare systems worldwide, regardless of the country's level of economic development, including Russian Federation. Currently, there is a pronounced imbalance in the medical workforce: specialists prefer to work in large cities, which have several advantages over rural areas. Meanwhile, the availability of medical care in rural areas continues to decline, particularly in remote and hard-to-reach areas. The shortage of emergency physicians and paramedics, who often face difficult working conditions, is particularly acute. Various projects aimed at attracting and retaining personnel in the regions are not producing the expected results, which may be due to a number of subjective factors among healthcare workers that contribute to the shortage. Various projects aimed at attracting and retaining personnel in the regions are not achieving the expected results, which may be due to a number of subjective factors among medical workers that contribute to the shortage. Objective: To analyze the opinions of senior medical students on their motivations for choosing a career and their professional development strategies. Materials and Methods. An online survey of 319 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-year students of the First Pavlov Saint-Petersburg State Medical University was conducted using a specially developed 20-question questionnaire, "Survey of Medical University Students on Future Professional Activities and Careers in Healthcare." Results. The majority of surveyed plan to pursue a career in medicine (70.2%; n=224). The most desired medical specialties for further study were: obstetrics and gynecology (11.3%; n=36), psychiatry and narcology (6.9%; n=22), dermatology and cosmetology (6.3%; n=20), anesthesiology and resuscitation (5%; n=16), and internal medicine (5%; n=16). The majority of students would like to work in a state-run hospital-type healthcare institution. (40.8%; n=130). The most significant criteria for choosing a future job were identified as high salary (average score – 8.6; =2.4), confidence and stability (average score – 8.5; =2.4), professional growth (average score – 8.4; =2.3), work-life balance (average score – 8.1; =2.6), and labor market demand (average score – 8.1; =2.5). Discussion. Eliminating staffing shortages in healthcare facilities providing medical care to rural populations is a priority for the development of healthcare. Conclusions. State human resources policy in healthcare should focus not only on preserving, expanding, and retaining medical specialists, but also on creating a modern and technologically advanced work environment, ensuring stable high salaries, and developing incentive and benefit systems.