The shortage of healthcare personnel is a contemporary issue of national healthcare. At the same time, admission to medical colleges and universities is always highly competitive. However, having become a doctor, many specialists either seek private medical practice or retire from medicine. It is widely thought that low earnings of healthcare professionals are the reason for that. But this is not entirely true. The article summarizes the results of a sociological trial used to conclude about the hierarchy of reasons for the reduction in the number of physicians in state medicine of modern Russia. The trial was conducted in a typical region of the Russian Federation — the Volgograd region. An expert survey of the heads of state medical organizations was used. It turned out that ethical and legal insecurity of doctors promoted retiring from medicine and seeking private medical practice. It is the profession that healthcare professionals worry about the most; they have to shun medicine due to the decline of the value of the profession in the society and inattentiveness to healthcare professionals, which is most acutely felt by young physicians. Thus, care for medical personnel, especially young specialists, is the most pressing issue. That’s why mentors of medical beginners play a specific role as they do not only educate but also raise devotion to the profession. At the same time, mentors need state support as well. The article suggests which forms of support can be provided.