A comparison of Male and Female Medical Student's Motivation towards Career Choice

Abstract

Objective: To compare motivation to become a doctor in both genders
 Study Design: Observational cross-sectional study
 Place and Duration of Study: Rawalpindi Medical University in March 2019.
 Materials and Methods: First and second-year M.B.B.S students were included in the study. Age, year of study, and gender were recorded. The questionnaire included 18 questions assessing six motivational dimensions: status and security; nature of the occupation; career opportunities; patient care and working with people; use of personal skills; and interest in science. Responses were recorded as ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’ for each question and results were analyzed using SPSS v19.
 Results: Out of 350 medical students, 247 (70.6%) were female and 103 (29.4%) were male. Most frequent motivational factors for females were “Opportunity to care for/ help people” (n=240; 97.1%) followed by “responsible job” (n=220; 89%) and “use of mental skills” (n=217; 87.8%). Male students were motivated mostly by “use of mental skills” (n=90; 87.3%) followed by “provides secure career” (n=87; 84.4%) and “challenging field” (n=83; 80.5%). In our study, (n=61; 25%) of females responded in agreement that boosts in marriage perspective was an underlying motivational factor for their choice of studying medicine while (n=41; 40%) males agreed to it. There was a significant difference between both genders with a p-value of 0.005. 
 Conclusions: We infer that female medical students have more humanitarian grounds for choosing the medical profession and are more motivated than their male counterparts.

Evaluation of existing knowledge, perceptions and practices of diagnostic imaging among non-radiologist physicians in Makurdi, North-Central Nigeria

“…Despite being higher, the ratio was consistent with findings of a nearly 2:1 M: F ratio by Salaam et al 1 However, another study found a M:F ratio of 1:1, while Sattar et al reported a reversed M:F ratio of about 1:2 in favour of females, indicating that the situation for women is improving. 13,14 The reasons behind gender disparities among professionals are diverse and complicated, affecting not just medical institutions but also every facet of society. 15 The incidental gender gap in our research may be due to a shortage of female mentors with expertise in the various medical disciplines to inspire others to pursue the same career.…”

“…1 However, separate reports by other researchers suggests that things might be improving for women. 13,14 The primary motivations for wanting to earn a living as radiologists was obvious. More than ever, radiology has become an important link in the medical health chain since it is a service department that provides answers, so physicians often request diagnostic tests even before seeing the patients.…”

Early Clinical Simulation Exposure May Enhances Academic Performance of Medical Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study in Saudi Arabia

“…This is perhaps because female students tend to have better pre-intervention baseline academic performance than males. [10][11][12][13][14] Thus, it is the male students who seem to have a greater scope of improvement post SBME, due to a lower pre-intervention baseline. However, this observation needs to be further validated through future studies.…”

Gender Perspective in Motivation to Study Medicine and Option of Future Practice; A Cross-Sectional Survey in Two Medical Colleges of Karachi, Pakistan

“…8,11 Recently, it has been reported that the female medical students are more motivated because they have more social reasons for selecting a career in medicine than their male colleagues, and further studies are also recommended at the local level. 12 However, this study has been conducted to determine the gender perspective on motivation to study medicine and the option of future practice.…”