AIM: To determine the factors affecting medical students' choice of the specialty of family medicine. METHODS: The study was conducted in the period from 2004-2006 and comprised 770 first-year medical students from Ondokuz Mayis, Karadeniz Technical, Kocaeli, and Adnan Menderes Universities, Turkey. The questionnaire included questions on demographic data and 6 "yes/no" or open-ended questions on students' career aspirations and the specialty of family medicine. RESULTS: The response rate was 93.1% (n=717, 54.7% male). Nearly all students (n=714, 99.6%) showed an intention to specialize after receiving the medical doctor degree. A total of 187 students (26.2%) showed an intention to work in primary care without specialization "for a temporary period" to "gain some experience." Family medicine was the least preferred specialty (n=7, 0.9%). The most important reasons for the choice of specialty were "better financial opportunities" and "prestige" (n=219, 30.5%), followed by "personal development" (n=149, 20.8%), "more benefits for the patient" (n=128, 17.9%), and "wish to work in an urban area" (n=32, 4.5%). The most preferred specialties were cardiology (n=179, 25.0%), pediatrics (n=121, 16.9%), ophthalmology (n=47, 6.6%), physical therapy and rehabilitation (n=34, 4.7%), and obstetrics and gynecology (n=32, 4.5%). CONCLUSION: Prestige, money, and personal development are important factors in career decision-making among medical students in Turkey. This should be taken into consideration when conducting reforms at the primary level.
AIM: To determine the factors affecting medical students' choice of the specialty of family medicine. METHODS: The study was conducted in the period from 2004-2006 and comprised 770 first-year medical students from Ondokuz Mayis, Karadeniz Technical, Kocaeli, and Adnan Menderes Universities, Turkey. The questionnaire included questions on demographic data and 6 "yes/no" or open-ended questions on students' career aspirations and the specialty of family medicine. RESULTS: The response rate was 93.1% (n=717, 54.7% male). Nearly all students (n=714, 99.6%) showed an intention to specialize after receiving the medical doctor degree. A total of 187 students (26.2%) showed an intention to work in primary care without specialization "for a temporary period" to "gain some experience." Family medicine was the least preferred specialty (n=7, 0.9%). The most important reasons for the choice of specialty were "better financial opportunities" and "prestige" (n=219, 30.5%), followed by "personal development" (n=149, 20.8%), "more benefits for the patient" (n=128, 17.9%), and "wish to work in an urban area" (n=32, 4.5%). The most preferred specialties were cardiology (n=179, 25.0%), pediatrics (n=121, 16.9%), ophthalmology (n=47, 6.6%), physical therapy and rehabilitation (n=34, 4.7%), and obstetrics and gynecology (n=32, 4.5%). CONCLUSION: Prestige, money, and personal development are important factors in career decision-making among medical students in Turkey. This should be taken into consideration when conducting reforms at the primary level.
Authors: Awad Ali Mohamed Ahmed Alawad; Waleed Shabeer Khan; Yousif Mohammed Abdelrazig; Yamin Ibrahim Elzain; Hassan Osman Khalil; Omer Bakri Elsayed Ahmed; Omeralfaroug Ahmed Ibrahim Adam Journal: Pan Afr Med J Date: 2015-02-04
Authors: Sody Naimer; Yan Press; Charles Weissman; Rachel Yaffa Zisk-Rony; Yoram G Weiss; Howard Tandeter Journal: Isr J Health Policy Res Date: 2018-02-12
Authors: Charles Weissman; Rachel Yaffa Zisk-Rony; Josh E Schroeder; Yoram G Weiss; Alex Avidan; Uriel Elchalal; Howard Tandeter Journal: Isr J Health Policy Res Date: 2012-03-12
Authors: Mohammad Al-Zubi; Mahmoud Mustafa Ali; Safaa Alzoubi; Morad Bani-Hani; Mohammad A Awwad; Khaled Seetan; Soha Albeitawi; Sulieman Alriyalat; Saddam Al Demour Journal: Ann Med Surg (Lond) Date: 2021-07-01