Factors influencing junior doctors’ choices of future specialty: trends over time and demographics based on results from UK national surveys

Abstract

Objective: To study trends in factors influencing junior doctors' choice of future specialty. Design: Respondents were asked whether each of 15 factors had a great deal of influence on their career choice, a little influence or no influence on it. Percentages are reported of those who specified that a factor had a great deal of influence on their career choice. . Prospects for promotion were less important to recent cohorts (16%) than older cohorts (21%), as were financial prospects (respectively, 10% and 14%). Domestic circumstances and working hours were considered more important, and financial prospects less important, by women than men. Inclination before medical school was rated as important by 41% of doctors who were over 30 years old, compared with 13% of doctors who were under 21, at the time of starting medical school. Conclusions: The increasing importance of both domestic circumstances and enthusiasm for their specialty choice in recent cohorts suggest that today's young doctors prize both work-life balance and personal fulfilment at work more highly than did their predecessors. The differences in motivations of older and younger generations of doctors, men and women, and doctors who start medical school relatively late are worthy of note.

Internists‘ career choice towards primary care: a cross-sectional survey

“…In our study PCPs perceived a higher influence for their career decision of their families than non-PCPs. This confirms similar results in other settings [21–24]. Meanwhile, PCPs reported less influence of chiefs and professors in their career decision.…”

What factors influenced the choice of medical specialty for doctors surveyed in the final year at medical school and again having entered their specialty training destination?

“…These findings agree with previous work highlighting the importance of previous experience in shaping career choice,1 but a number of complex and evolving factors2 such as the role of domestic circumstances have an increasing effect as careers develop and circumstances change 3…”

Today's doctors: What do men and women value in a training post?

“…For example, much research has shown that female doctors and medical students place higher value on work‐life balance and lifestyle factors than their male counterparts 12‐18 . However, more recent studies have suggested that, overall, a greater proportion of the medical workforce now appear to value life‐oriented factors such as work‐life balance over job‐related factors such as income 8,9‐24 . This may relate to the fact that in many countries more women than men are entering medicine 25‐27 .…”

“…This may relate to the fact that in many countries more women than men are entering medicine 25‐27 . However, this does not fully explain the changing patterns; research has indicated that the desire for work‐life balance is of increasing importance to male medical students, trainees or residents and fully‐qualified doctors 4,21,23,28,29 …”