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ABSTRACT: In Canada, availability of and access to mental health professionals is limited. Only 6.6% of practising physicians are psychiatrists, a situation unlikely to improve in the foreseeable future. Identifying student characteristics present at medical school entry that predict a subsequent psychiatry residency choice could allow targeted recruiting or support to students early on in their careers, in turn creating a supply of psychiatry-oriented residency applicants.
Between 2002 and 2004, data were collected from students in 15 Canadian medical school classes within 2 weeks of commencement of their medical studies. Surveys included questions on career preferences, attitudes, and demographics. Students were followed through to graduation and entry data linked anonymously with residency choice data. Logistic regression was used to identify early predictors of a psychiatry residency choice.
Students (n = 1502) (77.4% of those eligible) contributed to the final analysis, with 5.3% naming psychiatry as their preferred residency career. When stated career interest in psychiatry at medical school entry was not included in a regression model, an exit career choice in psychiatry was predicted by a student's desire for prestige, lesser interest in medical compared with social problems, low hospital orientation, and not volunteering in sports. When an entry career interest in psychiatry was included in the model, this variable became the only predictor of an exit career choice in psychiatry.
While experience and attitudes at medical school entry can predict whether students will chose a psychiatry career, the strongest predictor is an early career interest in psychiatry.
Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie 10/2011; 56(10):605-13. · 2.42 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: to describe the characteristics of medical students interested in obstetrics and gynaecology and to build a model that predicts which of these students will choose obstetrics and gynaecology as their career.
students were surveyed in 2002, 2003, and 2004 at the commencement of their medical studies. Data were collected on career choice, attitudes to practice, and demographics at medical school entry and on career choice at medical school exit.
three items present at entry to medical school were predictive of students ultimately choosing a career in obstetrics and gynaecology: having this career as one of their first three career choices at entry (having it as their first choice was the strongest predictor), being female, and desiring a narrow scope of practice.
students choosing a career in obstetrics and gynaecology have attributes at medical school entry that differentiate them from students interested in other specialties. Identifying these attributes may guide education in and recruitment to obstetrics and gynaecology.
Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Canada: JOGC = Journal d'obstetrique et gynecologie du Canada: JOGC 11/2010; 32(11):1063-9.
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ABSTRACT: Background: Medical student Pediatric rotations in Community Settings (CS) are increasingly common. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of setting (CS vs. exposure to an Academic Health Sciences Center (AHSC)) on the following: Clinical Performance, Examination Performance, Written Assignment Performance, and Successful Matching to a Canadian Pediatric Residency Program. Method: 340 medical students from the University of Toronto, Canada were studied. Rotation performance and acceptance into a Canadian pediatric residency program were assessed in relation to pediatric clerkship rotation site, while controlling for pre-clerkship career preference and pre-rotation site preference. Results: 172 medical students completed rotations that included exposure to an AHSC, while 168 medical students had exclusive exposure to a CS. Community based students received slightly higher clinical evaluations (p < 0.01), but not exam marks (p = 0.81) nor written assignment marks (p = 0.09). Students who had expressed career interest in pediatrics prior to clerkship performed better regardless of site (p < 0.001) and were more likely to choose an AHSC (p = 0.05). Clerkship setting had no demonstrated impact on successful matching to a Canadian pediatric residency program (p = 0.17). Conclusions: These results help validate the community setting for clerkship training in pediatrics and the shift toward distributed medical education.
Canadian Medical Education Journal Canadian Medical Education Journal. 01/2010; 1(1).
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ABSTRACT: To report the proportion of Canadian medical students interested in a career in psychiatry at medical school entry and to describe the unique demographics and career influences associated with this early interest.
From 2001 to 2004, during the first 2 weeks of medical school, a 41-item survey of career choice, demographics, and attitudes toward various aspects of medical practice was distributed to all students in 18 classes at 8 Canadian medical schools. Associations between early career interest, demographics, and career influences were explored.
Of the 2096 completed surveys, 3.2% of students named psychiatry as their first career choice. While 34% of students considered psychiatry a possible career option, 54.9% stated that they had not considered this option. Students interested in psychiatry were more likely than other students to have an undergraduate education in the arts, to have close family or friends practicing medicine, and to have worked voluntarily with people with mental illness. Students interested in psychiatry had a lesser social orientation than students interested in family medicine but had a greater social orientation and lesser hospital orientation than students interested in other specialties.
Enhanced psychiatric care may be aided by the selective recruitment into medical school of students with a demonstrated empathy toward people with mental illness, an educational background in the arts, and a strong social orientation. As career influences change throughout medical school, participants in this study will be re-surveyed at graduation to better understand the evolution of career choice decision-making throughout medical school.
Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie 09/2009; 54(8):557-64. · 2.42 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Studies indicate that a student's career interest at medical school entry is related to his or her ultimate career. We sought to determine the level of interest in emergency medicine among students at the time of medical school entry, and to describe characteristics associated with students primarily interested in emergency medicine.
We surveyed students in 18 medical school classes from 8 Canadian universities between 2001 and 2004 at the commencement of their studies. Participants listed their top career choice and the degree to which a series of variables influenced their choices. We also collected demographic data.
Of 2420 surveys distributed, 2168 (89.6%) were completed. A total of 6.1% (95% confidence interval 5.1%-7.1%) of respondents cited emergency medicine as their first career choice. When compared with students primarily interested in family medicine, those primarily interested in emergency medicine reported a greater influence of hospital orientation and a lesser influence of social orientation on their career choice. When compared with students primarily interested in the surgical specialties, those primarily interested in emergency medicine were more likely to report medical lifestyle and varied scope of practice as important influences. When compared with students primarily interested in the medical specialties, those who reported interest in emergency medicine were more likely to report that a hospital orientation and varied scope of practice were important influences, and less likely to report that social orientation was important.
Students primarily interested in emergency medicine at medical school entry have attributes that differentiate them from students primarily interested in family medicine, the surgical specialties or the medical specialties. These findings may help guide future initiatives regarding emergency medicine education.
CJEM: Canadian journal of emergency medical care = JCMU: journal canadien de soins medicaux d'urgence 06/2009; 11(3):196-206. · 1.18 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Interest in both general surgery and surgical subspecialties has been declining among Canadian medical students. Studies have shown that a student's desire to practise surgery is largely determined before entry into medical school. As part of a larger study of students' career preferences throughout medical school, we sought to identify the level of interest in surgical careers and the factors that influence a student's interest in pursuing a surgical career.
We surveyed students from 18 different classes at Canadian medical schools at the commencement of their studies between 2001 and 2004. We asked the students to list their top career choices and the degree to which a series of variables influenced their choices. We also collected demographic data. We performed a factor analysis on the variables.
Of 2420 surveys distributed, 2168 (89.6%) were completed. A total of 21.0% of respondents named a surgical specialty as their first choice of career. We found that male students were more likely to express interest in a surgical specialty than female students, who were more likely to express interest in either family medicine or a medical specialty. Compared with students interested in a career in family medicine, those interested in a surgical or medical specialty were younger, more likely to be single and more likely to be influenced by prestige when making their career choices. Students interested in a career in surgery were less influenced by medical lifestyle and a varied scope of practice, less likely to demonstrate a social orientation and more likely to be hospital-oriented than students interested in either family medicine or a medical specialty. Male students interested in a career in surgery were more hospital-oriented and less likely to demonstrate a social orientation than female students interested in surgical careers.
We identified 5 factors and a number of demographic variables associated with a student's interest in a surgical career.
Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie 11/2008; 51(5):371-7. · 1.05 Impact Factor
