Dataset Information

Factors influencing the career preferences of medical students and interns: a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey from India.

ABSTRACT: PURPOSE:The study aimed to identify the motivational factors and demographic variables influencing the career preferences of medical students in India. METHODS:We conducted a questionnaire-based survey at Christian Medical College, Vellore, India. The participants were 368 of the 460 medical students and interns enrolled at the institution from October 2015 to August 2016. We designed the questionnaire to collect demographic data, students' preferences for career specialties, and the motivational factors influencing them. Then, we analyzed the influence of these factors and demographic variables on career preferences using regression analysis. RESULTS:Of the 368 respondents, 356 (96.7%) expressed their intention to pursue a residency program after the MBBS program, and about two-thirds indicated their preference to do so in India. The specialties most preferred by students were general surgery, general medicine (internal medicine), and pediatrics, while the least preferred were anatomy, obstetrics and gynecology, and community medicine. Factor analysis yielded three motivational factors, which we named 'personal growth,' 'professional growth,' and 'personal satisfaction' based on the items loaded in each. The motivational factors were predicted by demographic variables (gender, geographical background, current stage in the MBBS program, and the presence of relatives in the health professions). Demographic variables and the motivational factors also had significant influences on career preferences. CONCLUSIONS:This study provides insights into the motivational factors that influence the career preferences of Indian medical students and interns. A robust longitudinal study would be required to study intra-individual variations in preferences and the persistence of choices.

SUBMITTER: Anand R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6609296 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Factors influencing the career preferences of medical students and interns: a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey from India.

Anand Ruban R Sankaran Prakash Somi PS

Journal of educational evaluation for health professions 20190515

<h4>Purpose</h4>The study aimed to identify the motivational factors and demographic variables influencing the career preferences of medical students in India.<h4>Methods</h4>We conducted a questionnaire-based survey at Christian Medical College, Vellore, India. The participants were 368 of the 460 medical students and interns enrolled at the institution from October 2015 to August 2016. We designed the questionnaire to collect demographic data, students' preferences for career specialties, and ...[more]

PMID: 31117329

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundThe medical specialities chosen by doctors for their careers play an important part in the workforce planning of health-care services. However, there is little theoretical understanding of how different medical specialities are perceived or how choices are made, despite there being much work in general on this topic in occupational psychology, which is influenced by Holland's RIASEC (Realistic-Investigative-Artistic-Social-Enterprising-Conventional) typology of careers, and Gottfredson's model of circumscription and compromise. In this study, we use three large-scale cohorts of medical students to produce maps of medical careers.MethodsInformation on between 24 and 28 specialities was collected in three UK cohorts of medical students (1981, 1986 and 1991 entry), in applicants (1981 and 1986 cohorts, N = 1135 and 2032) or entrants (1991 cohort, N = 2973) and in final-year students (N = 330, 376, and 1437). Mapping used Individual Differences Scaling (INDSCAL) on sub-groups broken down by age and sex. The method was validated in a population sample using a full range of careers, and demonstrating that the RIASEC structure could be extracted.ResultsMedical specialities in each cohort, at application and in the final-year, were well represented by a two-dimensional space. The representations showed a close similarity to Holland's RIASEC typology, with the main orthogonal dimensions appearing similar to Prediger's derived orthogonal dimensions of 'Things-People' and 'Data-Ideas'.ConclusionsThere are close parallels between Holland's general typology of careers, and the structure we have found in medical careers. Medical specialities typical of Holland's six RIASEC categories are Surgery (Realistic), Hospital Medicine (Investigative), Psychiatry (Artistic), Public Health (Social), Administrative Medicine (Enterprising), and Laboratory Medicine (Conventional). The homology between medical careers and RIASEC may mean that the map can be used as the basis for understanding career choice, and for providing career counselling.

Project description:BackgroundMalawi has one of the lowest physician densities in the world, at 1.1 doctors per 100,000 population. Undergraduate training of doctors at the national medical school has increased considerably in recent years with donor support. However, qualified doctors continue to leave the public sector in order to work or train abroad. We explored the postgraduate plans of current medical students, and the extent to which this is influenced by their background.MethodsA self-administered questionnaire was developed after discussion with students and senior staff. This included questions on background characteristics, education before medical school, and future career plans. This was distributed to all medical and premedical students on campus over 1?week and collected by an independent researcher. One reminder visit was made to each class. Chi-squared tests were performed to investigate the relationship of student characteristics with future career plans.ResultsOne hundred and forty-nine students completed the questionnaire out of a student body of 312, a response rate of 48%. When questioned on their plans for after graduation, 49.0% of students plan to stay in Malawi. However, 38.9% plan to leave Malawi immediately. Medical students who completed a 'premedical' foundation year at the medical school were significantly more likely to have immediate plans to stay in Malawi compared to those who completed A-levels, an advanced school-leaving qualification (P?=?0.037). Current premedical students were slightly more likely to have immediate plans to work or train in Malawi compared to medical students (P?=?0.049). However, a trend test across all the years was not significant. When asked about future plans, nearly half of students intend to work or train outside Malawi.ConclusionsThe majority of respondents plan to leave Malawi in the future. The effectiveness of the substantial upscaling of medical education in Malawi may be diminished unless more medical students plan to work in Malawi after graduation.

Project description: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.

Project description:AimTo determine undergraduate medical students' teaching preferences and expectations for Culinary Medicine (CM) learning with a view to informing development of a CM course at a UK medical school.SettingA single, urban UK medical school.Participants180 undergraduate medical students.Study designA cross-sectional questionnaire study collecting quantitative and qualitative (free-text) data.Methods and outcome measuresAn online questionnaire consisting of 16 questions of various styles (Likert-type, multiple choice and free-text). Quantitative analysis of multiple choice and Likert-type scale questions was conducted. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyse the free-text responses and identify themes.ResultsThree core themes related to students' understanding of CM were identified: (1) 'CM Learning': students' perceived relevance of CM knowledge, perceived relevance of CM to healthcare and their expectations for teaching; (2) 'The Relationship between Food and Health': links between diet, social factors and health; and (3) 'Evidence-based Medicine': students' perceptions about scientific principles underlying CM. Quantitative analysis revealed that, although 83% of students felt that learning CM is important for their future clinical practice, 56% felt unable to take a dietary history. 73% of students were dissatisfied with the quality, and 78% were dissatisfied with the quantity, of existing medical school teaching understood to be relevant to CM. Topics that students would like to be taught on a CM course included weight management and portion control. Students felt that problem-based style learning would be the most appropriate method for delivering CM teaching.ConclusionsThis study revealed that medical students felt their dietary counsulting skills could be improved with further clinically relevant teaching in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Students' preferences for CM learning have been taken into consideration in the development of a CM course for fifth-year undergraduate students at a UK medical school, which is delivered during their General Practice placement.

Dataset Information

Factors influencing the career preferences of medical students and interns: a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey from India.

Publications

Factors influencing the career preferences of medical students and interns: a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey from India.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure