Table 3 Perceptions and selection criteria of students considering and not considering pursuing a career in each of the specialties
From: Israeli medical students’ perceptions of six key medical specialties
Pediatrics | Anesthesiology | General surgery | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | ||||
Specialty I am positively considering | (n=75) | (n=99) | (n=21) | (n=164) | (n=41) | (n=142) | |||
32% | 42% | 9% | 70% | 18% | 61% | ||||
Interesting and challenging specialty | 76% | 22% | p<0.001 | 90% | 34% | p<0.001 | 90% | 51% | p<0.001 |
Advanced specialty | 57% | 23% | p<0.001 | 67% | 40% | p<0.003 | 38% | 33% | NS |
Boring specialty | 7% | 36% | p<0.001 | 21% | 42% | p=0.003 | 5% | 19% | p<0.001 |
Stressful specialty | 36% | 18% | p<0.023 | 84% | 72% | NS | 95% | 94% | NS |
Controllable lifestyle | 68% | 66% | NS | 35% | 26% | NS | 0% | 0% | NS |
Work limited hours | 51% | 58% | NS | 26% | 19% | NS | 2% | 2% | NS |
Allows family time | 64% | 63% | NS | 37% | 24% | NS | 0% | 0% | NS |
Long working hours | 57% | 23% | p<0.001 | 67% | 40% | p<0.003 | 38% | 33% | NS |
Prestigious specialty (population) | 36% | 27% | p<0.05 | 11% | 4% | NS | 76% | 79% | NS |
Prestigious specialty (colleagues) | 22% | 10% | p=0.03 | 26% | 8% | NS | 63% | 42% | p=0.048 |
Opportunities for private practice | 59% | 60% | NS | 32% | 16% | NS | 54% | 42% | NS |
High salary | 20% | 21% | NS | 21% | 21% | NS | 34% | 31% | NS |
Ratio of lifestyle vs income | 65% | 54% | NS | 28% | 20% | NS | 5% | 6% | NS |
Academic opportunities | 45% | 45% | NS | 42% | 43% | NS | 68% | 55% | NS |
Specialty in crisis | 8% | 9% | NS | 95% | 97% | NS | 73% | 74% | NS |
Requested specialty | 77% | 56% | p=0.007 | 0% | 0% | NS | 17% | 4% | NS |
Selection criteria | |||||||||
Bedside specialty | 80% | 66% | p=0.004 | 63% | 71% | NS | 63% | 76% | NS |
Direct aid to patients | 77% | 77% | NS | 76% | 78% | NS | 85% | 74% | NS |
Direct patient care | 69% | 55% | p=0.02 | 43% | 65% | NS | 44% | 66% | p=0.009 |
Time for childrearing | 87% | 58% | p<0.001 | 71% | 72% | NS | 49% | 81% | p<0.001 |
Family time | 92% | 69% | p<0.001 | 80% | 80% | NS | 56% | 88% | p<0.001 |
Only daytime work | 44% | 18% | p<0.001 | 19% | 29% | NS | 7% | 38% | p<0.001 |
Work outside the hospital | 11% | 8% | NS | 14% | 11% | NS | 2% | 12% | p<0.001 |
Long-term care | 44% | 32% | NS | 24% | 46% | NS | 15% | 49% | p=0.002 |
Family orientation | 45% | 28% | p=0.002 | 26% | 39% | NS | 15% | 42% | p=0.002 |
Immediate satisfaction | 49% | 61% | NS | 79% | 50% | NS | 90% | 42% | p<0.001 |
Operating room time | 23% | 53% | p<0.001 | 29% | 38% | NS | 71% | 24% | p<0.001 |
Performing procedures | 35% | 61% | p<0.001 | 57% | 46% | NS | 90% | 33% | p<0.001 |
Controllable lifestyle | 68% | 65% | NS | 67% | 69% | NS | 46% | 79% | p=0.004 |
“Action” specialty | 25% | 48% | p<0.002 | 43% | 36% | NS | 73% | 25% | p<0.001 |
Without long-term care | 11% | 13% | NS | 24% | 10% | NS | 12% | 11% | NS |
On-cal as an attending | 41% | 33% | NS | 33% | 35% | NS | 44% | 34% | p=0.008 |
High salary | 47% | 48% | NS | 62% | 45% | NS | 49% | 46% | NS |
Private practice | 47% | 56% | NS | 38% | 50% | NS | 51% | 49% | NS |
Prestigious specialty | 8% | 15% | p<0.003 | 5% | 12% | p<0.037 | 27% | 8% | p=0.002 |
Prestigious specialty | 8% | 14% | NS | 5% | 10% | NS | 24% | 7% | p=0.007 |
Interesting specialty | 91% | 93% | NS | 81% | 93% | NS | 93% | 91% | NS |
Gender (Female) | 68% | 42% | p<0.001 | 29% | 52% | p<0.043 | 24% | 62% | |
Marital status (Single) | 47% | 55% | NS | NS | 52% | 59% | NS | ||
Specialty I am positively considering | (n=34) | (n=155)) | (n=74) | (n=102) | (n=41) | (n=137) | |||
15% | 66% | 32% | 44% | 18% | 59% | ||||
Interesting and challenging specialty | 88% | 27% | p<0.001 | 93% | 55% | p<0.001 | 68% | 9% | p<0.001 |
Advanced specialty | 68% | 47% | p=0.036 | 84% | 60% | p<0.001 | 29% | 23% | NS |
Boring specialty | 6% | 39% | p<0.001 | 3% | 12% | p<0.001 | 18% | 65% | P<0.001 |
Stressful specialty | 44% | 50% | NS | 88% | 80% | NS | 12% | 15% | NS |
Controllable lifestyle | 26% | 7% | p=0.011 | 9% | 7% | NS | 100% | 94% | NS |
Work limited hours | 12% | 7% | NS | 11% | 9% | NS | 93% | 90% | NS |
Allows family time | 18% | 8% | p=0.043 | 7% | 6% | NS | 93% | 92% | NS |
Long working hours | 85% | 74% | NS | 89% | 84% | NS | 15% | 4% | P=0.028 |
Prestigious specialty (population) | 59% | 47% | NS | 71% | 67% | NS | 8% | 7% | NS |
Prestigious specialty (colleagues) | 26% | 38% | NS | 64% | 57% | NS | 0% | 3% | NS |
Opportunities for private practice | 97% | 79% | p<0.001 | 88% | 88% | NS | 30% | 41% | NS |
-High salary | 82% | 77% | NS | 84% | 81% | NS | 33% | 31% | NS |
Reasnable ratio of lifestyle vs. income | 62% | 50% | p=0.042 | 51% | 39% | NS | 93% | 73% | p=0.004 |
Academic opportunities | 62% | 42% | NS | 81% | 74% | NS | 15% | 6% | P=0.012 |
Specialty in crisis | 6% | 3% | NS | 1% | 4% | NS | 26% | 15% | NS |
Requested specialty | 62% | 45% | p=0.018 | 73% | 73% | NS | 40% | 28% | NS |
Selecion criteria | |||||||||
Bedside specialty | 53% | 77% | NS | 74% | 74% | NS | 85% | 72% | p=0.036 |
Direct aid to patients | 76% | 77% | NS | 76% | 75% | NS | 80% | 79% | NS |
Direct patient care | 35% | 68% | p=0.004 | 57% | 65% | NS | 78% | 57% | p=0.042 |
Time for childrearing | 50% | 77% | p=0.023 | 66% | 73% | NS | 95% | 63% | p<0.001 |
Family time | 62% | 84% | p=0.016 | 76% | 79% | NS | 95% | 74% | p<0.001 |
Only daytime work | 15% | 34% | p=0.001 | 26% | 29% | NS | 51% | 20% | p<0.001 |
Work outside the hospital | 6% | 12% | p=0.046 | 7% | 12% | NS | 24% | 5% | p<0.001 |
Long-term care | 15% | 45% | p<0.001 | 41% | 35% | NS | 68% | 28% | p<0.001 |
Family orientation | 15% | 39% | p=0.003 | 36% | 31% | NS | 70% | 24% | p<0.001 |
Immediate satisfaction | 79% | 46% | p<0.001 | 70% | 48% | p<0.001 | 34% | 63% | p=0.003 |
Operating room time | 74% | 28% | p<0.001 | 53% | 33% | p<0.001 | 17% | 46% | p<0.001 |
Performing procedures | 85% | 39% | p<0.001 | 58% | 41% | NS | 24% | 55% | p<0.001 |
Controllable lifestyle | 68% | 70% | NS | 59% | 74% | NS | 83% | 62% | NS |
“Action” specialty | 59% | 31% | p<0.001 | 45% | 34% | p<0.008 | 15% | 48% | p<0.001 |
Without long-term care | 9% | 12% | NS | 11% | 11% | NS | 10% | 12% | NS |
On-cal as an attending | 38% | 37% | p=0.029 | 37% | 38% | NS | 27% | 44% | p=0.006 |
High salary | 62% | 43% | p=0.024 | 53% | 42% | NS | 46% | 47% | NS |
Private practice | 62% | 45% | p<0.001 | 58% | 43% | p<0.004 | 34% | 56% | p=0.022 |
Prestigious specialty (colleagues) | 18% | 9% | NS | 13% | 12% | NS | 3% | 18% | p=0.002 |
Prestigious specialty (population) | 53% | 48% | NS | 11% | 11% | NS | 2% | 16% | p=0.039 |
Interesting specialty | 91% | 92% | NS | 92% | 91% | NS | 88% | 93% | NS |
Gender (female) | 18% | 63% | p<0.001 | 55% | 47% | NS | 68% | 46% | p=0.011 |
Marital status (single) | 68% | 50% | p=0.021 | 43% | 59% | NS | 44% | 55% | NS |