Aim of the study. To estimate the requirement for public health (PH) specialists and to evaluate their withdrawal during the studies. Objectives. 1. To evaluate the changes in number and distribution of PH specialists in Lithuania in 1993-2002. 2. To evaluate the withdrawal of students of Faculty of PH of KUM during pre-diploma studies. 3. To evaluate the withdrawal of students of Faculty of PH of KUM during post-diploma studies. 4. To estimate the requirement for PH specialists until 2015. Methods. While estimating the number and distribution of PH specialists in Lithuania the data of LHIC were analyzed. While estimating the withdrawal of PH students during pre-diploma and post-diploma studies, cohort analysis of the matriculates of Faculty of PH of KUM was carried out. The requirement for PH specialists was evaluated by carrying out the Delphi survey. Results. In 1993-2002 the number of PH specialists per 10 thousand population decreased in Lithuania: mostly the number of PH specialists with non-university medical education. In 1994-2000 84.9 percent of 272 matriculates graduated from Faculty of PH of KUM. 2.5 percent of students graduated earlier than after 4 years, because they had moved from Faculty of Medicine to the third or the fourth course of PH studies. The number of students who left for other faculties was 2.9 percent. It was impossible to find out the outcome of studies of 1.5 percent of students. Totally, 10.7 percent of students have not graduated from the... [to full text]