Relationship between medical students' career priority and specialty choice: A nationwide multicenter survey

Factors affecting the choice of medical specialties in Turkiye: an analysis based on cross-sectional survey of medical graduates

BACKGROUND

Modern healthcare systems require the right mix of medical specialties for effective provision of high-quality services. Despite increased availability of general physicians and specialists, Türkiye lags behind high-income countries in terms of availability of specialists. The purpose of the study is to identify several specific factors that affect the choice of medical specialization.

METHODS

All 350 medical school graduates in a specialty examination preparation bootcamp were requested to participate in the survey and 333 completed the self-administered questionnaire. The survey asked questions about factors affecting choice of medical specialty by medical graduates.

RESULTS

The empirical results indicate that surgical specialties, compared to other broad medical specializations, are selected because of its higher income-earning potential and social prestige. The likelihood of selecting surgical specialties is negatively affected by rigorousness of the training program, high work-load, risk of malpractice lawsuits and risk of workplace violence. Male participants were 2.8 times more likely to select surgery specialty compared to basic medical science. Basic medical science areas were selected at a higher rate by female graduates and graduates with high level of academic performance in medical schools.

CONCLUSIONS

It is critically important to improve trust and inter-personal communications between the patients and physicians in all specialties to lower the likelihood of malpractice lawsuits and workplace violence. Policy-makers may adopt policies to affect income earning potential and social prestige of targeted specializations to improve their supply.

Factors Influencing Specialty and Training Center Choices Among Saudi Medical Residents

AIM

This cross-sectional study aims to identify and quantify the factors influencing Saudi medical residents in selecting their desired specialty and primary training center, while examining the associations between these factors.

METHODS

The study received approval from an institutional ethical committee at King Abdulaziz University. An electronic questionnaire was designed and validated via content, face validity, and the Content Validity Index. The sample size was calculated based on a 95% CI and a 5% margin of error. The study targeted all current residents in the current Saudi Specialty Certificate Programs. Descriptive statistics summarized demographic characteristics, training-related information, and factors influencing the selection of a specialty and training center. Fisher's exact test and Chi-square tests were employed for data analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 387 respondents completed the survey, with a 32.3% response rate. The majority of respondents were male (n = 232, 59.9%), and the majority were also married (n = 67.2%), with internal medicine (n = 92, 23.8%) and family medicine (n = 74, 19.1%) being the most prevalent specialties. Notably, 89.4% (n = 346) reported matching into their first-choice specialty, and 67.2% (n = 260) into their first-choice training center. Furthermore, 90.2% (n = 349) had prior training (elective/internship) in their chosen specialty, and 63% (n = 244) had previous training (elective/internship) at their primary training center. Prior exposure to both specialty and center significantly resulted in them being the resident's top choice (p < 0.01). Multiple factors influencing the choice of either the specialty or the center were found to have statistically significant associations with the gender, specialty, residency level, sector of the training center, and timing of the specialty decision (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

This study reveals the substantial influence of early experiences on Saudi medical residents' specialty and training center choices. It also uncovers gender disparities and variations in the influence of specialty-related factors. Future research with larger and more diverse samples is recommended to gain a deeper understanding of the multifactorial decision-making processes, enabling the development of strategies to better meet the evolving needs and preferences of healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia.

Willingness to practice medicine and related influential factors among medical undergraduates during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

As the medical undergraduates constitute the future workforce in China, their career preferences hold a significant bearing on the quality of healthcare services, particularly in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to understand the current state of the willingness to practice medicine among medical undergraduates and to analyze the related influential factors.

METHODS

During the COVID-19 epidemic, we conducted a cross-sectional survey via an online platform from February 15, 2022, to May 31, 2022, to collect participants' demographic information, psychology, and factors influencing their career choices. The general self-efficacy scale (GSES) was used to evaluate medical students' perceptions of their self-efficacy. Futhermore, we conducted multivariate logistic regression analyses to explore the influencing factors of medical undergraduates' willingness to pursure a caree in medicine.

RESULTS

A total of 2348 valid questionnaires were included, and 1573 (66.99%) were willing to practice medicine for medical undergraduates after graduation. The mean GESE scores in the willingness group (2.87 ± 0.54) were significantly higher than those of the unwillingness group (2.73 ± 0.49). The multiple logistic regression showed that several factors were positively associated with willingness to practice medicine as a career, including students' GSES score (OR = 1.87), current major, household income, personal ideals (OR = 1.97), family support (OR = 1.44), high income (OR = 1.77), and social respect (OR = 2.19). Compared with those who were very afraid of COVID-19, students who did not express any fear towards the COVID-19 pandemic had a higher preference for choosing the medical profession as a career. Conversely, students thinking of high tension in the doctor-patient relationship, heavy workload, and long training were less likely to choose medical work after graduation.

CONCLUSIONS

The study highlights a noteworthy prevalence of medical undergraduates who expressed their willingness to pursue medicine as a career post-graduation. Several factors, including but not limited to current major, household income, psychological factors, personal preferences, and career needs or preferences, were significantly associated with this willingness. Moreover, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical students' career choices cannot be overlooked.

Why choose paediatrics? A scoping review of factors affecting the choice of paediatrics as a career

Despite being a popular speciality at the undergraduate level, paediatrics lags behind most other medical and surgical specialities for postgraduate recruitment. As many individuals decide on their future career choice while still in medical school, it is essential to identify the factors that attract individuals to a career in paediatrics. To determine the positive influencing factors determining paediatrics as a career choice. A scoping review of primary research articles was conducted using a comprehensive electronic search strategy and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews recommendations. Studies exploring medical students, junior doctors, and current paediatricians' perceptions of paediatrics were included. Factors affecting career choice were identified. Thirty-six studies out of a possible 3106 met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Six key influencing themes were identified. These were early undergraduate and clinical exposure to paediatrics; an attractive work-life balance; the presence of role models and mentors; an enjoyable working atmosphere and varied clinical work; a personal commitment to paediatrics; and working with children.

CONCLUSION

 Medical students are drawn by the wide clinical variety in paediatrics, enjoyable working atmosphere, and enthusiastic colleagues. Given the importance of early clinical exposure in determining student motivation, paediatrics needs to do more to advertise the wide variety of clinical and research work available, starting early in medical school. In addition, medical students need to be offered more opportunities to experience the speciality through student selected components, summer schools, or workshops, requiring coordination between medical schools and regional paediatric departments.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Research suggests that many medical students make choices on their future career based on medical school experiences. • Paediatrics is a popular subject among medical students, however applications for the specialilty are in decline.

WHAT IS NEW

• Six key factors influencing paediatrics as a career choice have been identified, the most common being early exposure to paediatrics at medical school and lifestyle factors. • Interventions aimed at increasing student involvement in paediatrics at the undergraduate level have been shown to be associated with an increase in the number of individuals applying for the speciality following graduation.

The Perception of Rural Medical Students Regarding the Future of General Medicine: A Thematic Analysis

Although the demand for general physicians has increased in Japan because of its aging population, medical universities primarily provide organ-based education; thus, medical students do not receive sufficient general medical education. The number of residents focusing on general medicine remains low; therefore, to understand the present situation regarding general medicine education, we attempted to clarify the views of medical students and the factors influencing them. In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted in 12 medical students at Shimane University, and the results were analyzed through thematic analysis. The results indicated the emergence of three themes and 14 concepts. The three overarching themes were as follows: hopes for the field of general medicine, gaps between ideal and reality of general medicine, and factors affecting students’ motivation for specialization in general medicine. Medical students had a positive impression of general medicine and believed that it has potential for further development; however, they felt a gap between their ideals and reality (i.e., unclear expertise). Factors creating this gap included poorly developed education and medical policies. We need to restructure general medicine education based on the participants’ perceptions by establishing collaborative curricula between universities and community hospitals and by increasing students’ exposure to general medicine.