A survey of factors influencing career preference in new-entrant and exiting medical students from four UK medical schools

Abstract

BackgroundWorkforce planning is a central issue for service provision and has consequences for medical education. Much work has been examined the career intentions, career preferences and career destinations of UK medical graduates but there is little published about medical students career intentions. How soon do medical students formulate careers intentions? How much do these intentions and preferences change during medical school? If they do change, what are the determining factors? Our aim was to compare medical students’ career preferences upon entry into and exit from undergraduate medical degree programmes.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Two cohorts [2009–10, 2010–11] of first and final year medical students at the four Scottish graduating medical schools took part in career preference questionnaire surveys. Questions were asked about demographic factors, career preferences and influencing factors.ResultsThe response rate was 80.9% [2682/3285]. Significant differences were found across the four schools, most obviously in terms of student origin [Scotland, rest of UK or overseas], age group, and specialty preferences in Year 1 and Year 5. Year 1 and Year 5 students’ specialty preferences also differed within each school and, while there were some common patterns, each medical school had a different profile of students’ career preferences on exit. When the analysis was adjusted for demographic and job-related preferences, specialty preferences differed by gender, and wish for work-life balance and intellectual satisfaction.ConclusionsThis is the first multi-centre study exploring students’ career preferences and preference influences upon entry into and exit from undergraduate medical degree programmes. We found various factors influenced career preference, confirming prior findings. What this study adds is that, while acknowledging student intake differs by medical school, medical school itself seems to influence career preference. Comparisons across medical school populations must therefore control for differences in input [the students] as well as context and process [the medical school] when looking at output [e.g., performance]. A robust, longitudinal study is required to explore how medical students’ career preferences change as they progress through medical school and training to understand the influence of the learning environment on training choice and outcomes.

Reasons for choosing the profession and profile of newly qualified physicians in Brazil

“…In studies with medical students, the female presence ranges from 22.4% in the medical course at the Federal University of Espírito Santo 14 to 50.2% at the State University of Londrina, 9 while in foreign studies this ranges from 48% in the United States 49 to 67.1% in the United Kingdom. 50 Given the different values expressed by women and men in relation to their reasons for choosing the profession, the study raises new investigations into the possible impacts of the feminization of medicine in Brazil. Will medicine become a profession focused more on care and less valued for professional success?…”

Motivation for studying medicine: assessing the similarities between UK and Ghanaian medical students

“…Two UK studies that have examined this topic indirectly found no obvious relationship. 49,50 However, the influence of PES on career decisions was only a minor consideration in both of these and more work is needed to fully explore this area. Until this occurs, the difference in the rate of high PES between the two cohorts presents an unknown variable when attempting to compare Ghanaian and UK medical students' career decisions.…”

Factors influencing the choice of anaesthesia as a field of specialty in University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital

“…However, the results from this study differ from other studies that show a high number of students pursuing a career in anaesthesia. 6 The reasons for anaesthesia not being chosen by the majority of students are related to duration of clerkship, stress, danger and risk associated with anaesthesia. The majority of the students (41.7%) who chose paediatrics as a career indicated that they enjoyed their clerkship in paediatrics while six (23.1%) students of surgery indicated the same reasons for their choice.…”

“…5,6 Men are typically more attracted by technical challenges, prestige and learning potential. 6 In line with this, females were found to opt for careers in community-based areas and social medicine, whereas males were found to be more inclined to hospital-based specialties. This is evidenced in the current study, although the results of this study could not substantiate the influence of gender on specialty preferences.…”