Table 1 Medical students’ perceptions of the six specialties (n = 234)

Interesting and challenging specialty

46%

43%

62%‡

41%†

71%§*‡†

25%*࠻

Advanced specialty

36%

44%*

35%*‡

52%*†

69%*†

23%*‡†§ª

Boring specialty

21%

35%*

14%‡

30%*†

7%*ࠤ

48%*†ª

Stressful specialty

27%

74%*

94%*‡

48%*‡†

81%*†§

13%*‡†§ª

Affords controllable lifestyle

63%

24%*

0%*‡

11%*†

8%*†

96%*‡†§ª

Possible to work limited hours

53%

17%*

2%*‡

10%*†

12%*†

91%*‡†§ª

Allows for family time

61%

23%*

0%*‡

10%*†

7%*†

93%*‡†§ª

Long working hours

25%

62%*

97%*‡

75%*†

86%*‡†

6%*‡†§ª

Prestigious specialty (population)

33%

5%*

78%*‡

49%*‡†

71%*‡§

7%*†§ª

Prestigious specialty (colleagues)

15%

10%*

46%*‡

34%*‡†

61%*‡†

2%*‡†§ª

Opportunity for private practice

58%

19%*

46%*‡

83%*‡†

90%*‡†

37%*‡†§ª

High salary

22%

21%*

32%*‡

79%*‡†

84%*‡†

30%ऻ

Reasonable ratio of lifestyle vs income

58%

20%*

6%*‡

53%‡†

45%‡†

78%*‡†§ª

Academic opportunities

45%

46%

58%

46%

78%*‡†

8%*‡†§ª

Specialty other students positively consider

67%

1%*

6%*‡

50%*‡†

76%ࠤ

32%*࠻

Specialty in crisis

7%

97%*

74%*‡

3%‡†

3%‡†

16%‡†§ª

Specialty I am positively considering

35%

9%*

20%*

16%*

34%ࠤ

19%*‡ª

* p<0.001 vs pediatrics

Values are the percentage of agree/highly agree answers on a 5 point-Likert Scale