Factors at medical school influencing students’ decisions to pursue a career in ophthalmology

Hsiao, Andrew M.; Tatham, Andrew J.

doi:10.1038/s41433-018-0025-3

Cited by 10 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…These made most of the students like the subject and also created role models within the department. These findings are similar to the study by Hsiao et al ,[ 21 ] who reported that the quality of training is more effective than just extending the duration of exposure during the internship. The study by Mehmood et al .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Ophthalmology as a career choice among medical students in Eastern India – A cross-sectional study

Parija

Gupta

Nayak

et al. 2022

Indian Journal of Ophthalmology

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Purpose: Several factors influence medical students to choose a specialty branch for post-graduate training, and it is important to understand them so that strategies can be made to make it more attractive and hence the shortage in the workforce can be addressed. This study aimed to identify the factors that influenced under-graduate medical students to choose ophthalmology as their specialty for post-graduate training. Methods It was a descriptive, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study, carried out among medical students at a tertiary academic institute in eastern India. In this survey tool, 25 questions were divided into different sections: demographic data, factors influencing the choice and perceptions about ophthalmology as a career option, and the impact of rotatory internship posting on the choice of subject. The various factors were then scored and indexed appropriately. Results There were 515 participants. The median age was 23 years. The major influencing factor for choosing ophthalmology was “adequate time” (52.04%), and the discouraging factor was “steep learning curve” (58.64%). Age had an odds ratio of 0.781, showing that the lower the age, the higher the chances of being positively inclined toward ophthalmology as a career choice. Similarly, major deciding factors, perceptions, and experiences in ophthalmology had odds ratios of 1.841, 1.725, and 2.057, respectively, showing a positive inclination. Conclusion The study states that a steep learning curve, personal attitudes, and misconceptions may dissuade the students from taking this subject, but adequate clinical exposure and experience, as well as role models during the internship, can create a positive impact on career choice.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Ophthalmology as a career choice among medical students in Eastern India – A cross-sectional study

Parija

Gupta

Nayak

et al. 2022

Indian Journal of Ophthalmology

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“…An interesting finding in both cohorts was the high rate of having a family member in the applicant's specialty (23.6% ophthalmology vs. 27.1% non-ophthalmology, p ¼ 0.540), as well as premedical school exposure to the applicant's selected specialty (75.3% ophthalmology vs. 83.5% non-ophthalmology, p ¼ 0.129; ►Table 2). This supports existing literature that increased and early exposure affects an applicant's choice of specialty 4,11,16 and highlights the significance of personal background on specialty selection.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…16 Our study findings highlight the opportunities that ophthalmology departments provide to medical students, and are consistent with reports from other recent studies regarding the substantial impact of such departments on medical student interest and success in pursuing a career in ophthalmology. 11,16 Our study has several limitations. The response rate is limited, although the 61.1% response rate among non-ophthalmology applicants at our institution compares favorably to existing literature surveying medical students at a single institution (35.5-78.1%), 2,4,10 and the 46.0% response rate of ophthalmology applicants compares favorably with recently published surveys of ophthalmology applicants (36.4-58.3%).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Factors Influencing Choice of Medical Specialty among Ophthalmology and Non-Ophthalmology Residency Applicants

Cui

Wingert

2021

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

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Objective The study aimed to investigate factors influencing choice of specialty among ophthalmology and non-ophthalmology residency applicants. Patients and Methods Anonymous, web-based surveys were distributed through REDCap to the 2019 to 2020 residency applicants to the Penn State Department of Ophthalmology and, as a control group, Penn State medical students applying to non-ophthalmology residencies for the 2019 to 2020 cycle. The primary outcome was factors that influenced specialty choice among ophthalmology versus non-ophthalmology applicants. Secondary outcomes include hours of exposure to applicants' selected specialty in the medical school preclinical curriculum, and proportion of ophthalmology versus non-ophthalmology applicants who decided on, or developed a strong interest in, their specialty prior to clinical rotations. Results Surveys were completed by 203/441 (46.0%) ophthalmology and 85/139 (61.1%) non-ophthalmology applicants. Fewer than 20 hours of exposure to an applicant's selected specialty were provided in the medical school preclinical curriculum for 86.7% of ophthalmology and 42.4% of non-ophthalmology applicants (p < 0.001). Ophthalmology applicants decided on, or developed a strong interest in, their selected specialty before clinical rotations at a similar rate to non-ophthalmology applicants (60.6 vs. 58.8%, respectively). Factors influencing specialty choice cited most commonly by ophthalmology applicants include professional satisfaction (94.1%), performing surgeries/procedures (92.6%), personal fit with specialty (91.1%), work-life balance (91.1%), and ability to see patients in a clinic setting (90.6%), compared to personal fit with specialty (95.3%)%, clinical rotation in selected specialty (95.3%), professional satisfaction (91.8%), intellectual stimulation (89.4%), and subinternship or away rotation (89.4%) among non-ophthalmology applicants. Conclusion Professional satisfaction and personal fit with specialty were among the most commonly cited factors influencing specialty choice for both groups. Other factors cited most frequently by ophthalmology applicants include performing surgeries/procedures, work-life balance, and ability to see patients in a clinic setting. Despite limited ophthalmology exposure in medical school preclinical curricula, ophthalmology applicants decided on, or developed a strong interest in, their selected specialty before clinical rotations at a rate similar to non-ophthalmology applicants.

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“…One study found that participants in the Duke-Elder exam were not more likely to enter ophthalmology trainee than non-participants and that the presence of an ophthalmology undergraduate society at a medical school was correlated with a 1.37-fold increase of .29.5% of students who scored in the top 20 nationally in the Duke-Elder exam subsequently entered ophthalmology training [ 15 ]. Both studies concluded that, although the Duke-Elder exam is used as part of shortlisting criteria for ophthalmology training, there may be a perceived ‘unimportance’ of the exam in comparison to other criteria and this may dissuade students from participating in the exam [ 2 , 15 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How does participation in a voluntary prize exam affect medical students’ knowledge and interest in ENT, plastic surgery, ophthalmology and dermatology?

et al. 2020

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Background Otolaryngology (ENT), plastic surgery, ophthalmology and dermatology are medical specialties which tend to receive less coverage in UK medical school curricula compared to larger, generalist specialties. As a result, there are fewer opportunities for medical students to learn and to cultivate an interest. There are numerous papers that report concerns about junior doctors’ ability to manage conditions within these specialties, which may jeopardise patient safety. The aim of our pilot project was to increase medical students’ interest and knowledge of ENT, plastic surgery, ophthalmology and dermatology. In addition to describing our project, we present and discuss literature on UK undergraduate education in these specialties and its impact on preparedness of junior doctors and future career choices. Methods One hundred twelve final year medical students at Newcastle University were invited to take part in a voluntary two-part (written and clinical) exam, in which prizes could be won and all participants would receive a certificate of participation. We distributed two online surveys to the students, one administered before the exam and one afterwards. Data was collected regarding the students’ motivation for entering the prize exam and the students’ baseline interest and knowledge in these specialties before and after the prize exam. Free-text responses were collected about the students’ opinion of the project and whether participation was beneficial. Results Sixteen students participated in the exam. There was a statistically significant increase in the students’ knowledge in ENT (p < 0.000), plastic surgery (p < 0.000), ophthalmology (p < 0.028) and dermatology (p < 0.012) after participation in the exam, but not in their interest levels. ENT was the preferred specialty of our cohort. The students reported that they found participation beneficial to their learning, particularly receiving exam feedback and explanations to exam questions. Conclusions This pilot project was a useful intervention in increasing medical students’ knowledge in these specialties, but not in their levels of interest. It also demonstrates that medical students are willing to participate in voluntary initiatives (in their spare time) to gain more learning opportunities and that medical students value timely exam feedback to guide their revision.

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Factors at medical school influencing students’ decisions to pursue a career in ophthalmology

Cited by 10 publications

References 6 publications

Ophthalmology as a career choice among medical students in Eastern India – A cross-sectional study

Ophthalmology as a career choice among medical students in Eastern India – A cross-sectional study

Factors Influencing Choice of Medical Specialty among Ophthalmology and Non-Ophthalmology Residency Applicants

How does participation in a voluntary prize exam affect medical students’ knowledge and interest in ENT, plastic surgery, ophthalmology and dermatology?

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