The article discusses the results of the survey of doctors and nurses conducted by the author in order to study the influence of psychological factors on work motivation, as well as the structure of work motives of medical personnel. The study was conducted in hospitals and clinics of cities of the Irkutsk region, 26 doctors and 34 nurses participated in the survey. In addition, 12 physicians from Greensboro, North Carolina, USA participated in the survey. As a result of the study, it was established that doctors in Russia have a predominance of internal and external positive motivation.