Title: Specialty Preferences among Under Graduate Medical Students in a Private Medical College: A Cross sectional study
Authors: John Dinesh A, Sudha V, Alok Pandey
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v6i1.95
Abstract
Background: Major determinants influence the career choices of under graduate medical students. The aim of our study was to find out future specialization interest among under graduate medical students.
Materials and Methods: A Cross sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students at Sri Venkateshwaraa Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SVMCH&RC), Puducherry during January 2017 – June 2017among 411 under graduate medical students. Universal sampling technique was used to select the study sample. The study subjects were recruited to obtain socio-demographic details, preferences for specialty and determinants influencing their choice of their specific specialties by using validated semi structured proforma. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel 2007 and analyzed in Social Package for the Social Sciences -21(SPSS-21).
Results: Out of 411 students who participated in the study, 222(54.10%) were women and 189(45.9%) were men. The mean age of the participants was 20.8+1.120.The most preferred specialties by both the genders were Medicine 81(39.5%)and Pediatrics 66(31.4%).The popular specialties among men were Orthopedics 52(27.5%), Medicine 39(20.6%) and Surgery 34(17.9%).While women students preferred Obstetrics &Gynecology 54(24.3%), Pediatrics 44(19.8%) and Medicine 42(18.9%).
Conclusion: Our study found that there is lack of interest in Pre and Para clinical specialties. The reasons for the same could be lack of opportunities and future scope of these specialties. This could create shortage of teachers in these specialties and it would encourage people with non-medical background to be the main group of teachers in these subjects.
Keywords: career, under graduate , medical students, specialties.
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