Choosing medical specialty: How Arab interns think?

Title: Choosing medical specialty: How Arab interns think?

Authors: Maha Sulaiman Younis, Ryadh Abdul Razzaq Al-Azzawi, Dina Hamdan

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v4i11.04

Abstract

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Abstract

Background: Selecting medical specialty can be challenging for the freshly graduated doctors. This versatile decision is influenced by variant personal and vocational factors. No such studies have been undertaken in Arab medical communities. This paper aims to explore and compare career preferences and motivations of two groups of medical interns in Iraq and Jordan

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012-2013on group of medical interns working at Medical City University Hospital and The Jordanian University Hospital-Amman. Data were analyzed through a descriptive tabulation. The forms of 127 respondents who decided their career choice were analyzed to explore the factors influencing their choices and the effect of gender.

Results: Male and female interns in Iraq and Jordan favored the major medical and surgical specialties. Males and females in both countries were motivated by intellectual contents, clinical interaction and academic, technical facilities more than financial profit and to lesser workload.

Conclusion: The study finding may be a reflection of shared cultural background and personal characteristics of both groups; the findings may also be useful to the health authorities in planning future expansions in certain fields.

Keywords: medical specialty, Arab interns.

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