Which U.S. medical graduates plan to become specialty-board certified? Analysis of the 1997-2004 national association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire database

[The importance of master's degree and doctorate degree in general surgery]

BACKGROUND

The Doctor of Philosophy is the highest academic degree that can be obtained in universities. Graduate Education Program in Medicine in Mexico is divided into 2 major categories: Medical Specialty and Master studies/Doctor of Philosophy. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the importance of master's degrees and Doctor of Philosophy in general surgery.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A literature search in PubMed and Medline among others, from 1970 to 2015 with subsequent analysis of the literature reviews found.

DISCUSSION

The physicians who conducted doctoral studies stand out as leaders in research, teaching and academic activities. Dual training with a doctorate medical specialty is a significant predictor for active participation in research projects within the best educational institutions.

RESULTS

It is important to study a PhD in the education of doctors specialising in surgery, who show more training in teaching, research and development of academic activities. Currently, although there is a little proportion of students who do not finish the doctoral program, the ones who do are expected to play an important role in the future of medical scientific staff. It has been shown that most doctors with Doctor of Philosophy have wide range of career options.

CONCLUSION

The importance of doctoral studies in the formation of general surgery is due to various reasons; the main one being comprehensively training physician scientists who can develop in clinical, teaching and research.

The changing paradigm of contemporary U.S. allopathic medical school graduates' career paths: analysis of the 1997-2004 national AAMC Graduation Questionnaire database

PURPOSE

During the last 15 years, the proportion of U.S. allopathic medical graduates planning to pursue alternative careers (other than full-time clinical practice) has been increasing. The authors sought to identify factors associated with contemporary medical graduates' career-setting plans.

METHOD

The authors obtained anonymous data from the 108,408 U.S. allopathic medical graduates who completed the 1997-2004 national Association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire (GQ). Using multinomial logistic regression, responses to eight GQ items regarding graduates' demographics, medical school characteristics, and specialty choice were tested in association with three career-setting plans (full-time university faculty; other, including government agencies, non-university-based research, or medical or health care administration; or undecided) compared with full-time (nonacademic) clinical practice.

RESULTS

The sample included 94,101 (86.8% of 108,408) GQ respondents with complete data. From 1997 to 2004, the proportions of graduates planning full-time clinical practice careers decreased from 51.3% to 46.5%; the proportions selecting primary care and obstetrics-gynecology specialties also decreased. Graduates reporting Hispanic race/ethnicity or no response to race/ethnicity, lower debt, dual advanced degrees at graduation, and psychiatric-specialty choice were consistently more likely to plan to pursue alternative careers. Graduates selecting an obstetrics-gynecology specialty/ subspecialty were consistently less likely to plan to pursue alternative careers. Being female, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black or Native American/Alaskan, and selecting non-primary-care specialties were variably associated with alternative career plans.

CONCLUSIONS

As the medical student population becomes more demographically diverse, as graduates increasingly select non-primary-care specialties, and as dual-degree-program graduates and alternative career opportunities for physicians expand, the proportion of U.S. graduates planning full-time clinical practice careers likely will continue to decline.

Have predictors of obstetrics and gynecology career choice among contemporary US medical graduates changed over time?

OBJECTIVE

We sought to identify predictors of obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) specialty choice among US medical graduates over time.

STUDY DESIGN

We examined OBGYN specialty choice for its association with 16 items on the 1997, 2000, and 2004 AAMC Graduation Questionnaire (GQ). Multivariate logistic regression identified independent predictors of OBGYN specialty choice for each year.

RESULTS

Eighty-three percent of US graduates completed the GQ in the 3 years studied. Fewer responders chose OBGYN over time (1997, 8.2%; 2000, 6.5%; 2004, 6.2%). Women, blacks, and graduates with more positive ratings of the OBGYN clerkship were more likely to choose OBGYN in each year (each P < .001). Graduates reporting more positive beliefs about the practice of medicine and preferring academic careers were less likely to choose OBGYN (each P < .05).

CONCLUSION

Predictors of OBGYN specialty choice from among the GQ variables tested have remained stable over time, but with a smaller pool of likely applicants.