A study of the factors influencing school-going students considering medical careers.
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Affiliation
Department of Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Royal College of, Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland. seamusmchugh@rcsi.ieIssue Date
2012-02-01T09:58:31ZMeSH
Adolescent*Career Choice
Education, Medical, Undergraduate/*statistics & numerical data
Female
General Surgery/*education
Humans
Ireland
Male
Questionnaires
*Schools, Medical
Students, Medical/*statistics & numerical data
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Surgeon. 2011 Aug;9(4):191-4. Epub 2010 Oct 23.Journal
The surgeon : journal of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Edinburgh and IrelandDOI
10.1016/j.surge.2010.09.005PubMed ID
21672658Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Obtaining a place in an Irish medical school is extremely competitive, a situation mirrored in many other countries. We aimed to determine the factors influencing school students in deciding to study medicine in university. We further determined what level of interest exists in pursuing a surgical career after completion of medical school. METHODS: The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland hosts an annual "Introduction to Medicine" programme for senior school children. Attendees were surveyed using a Likert scale to examine the factors influencing the group in choosing to study medicine, and pursue surgery as their ultimate career choice. RESULTS: A total of 128 completed the survey, giving a response rate of 100%. The opportunity to help others was most the most influential factors cited by students (97%). Males were significantly more likely to have an interest in a career in surgery rather than medicine (p = 0.003), and ranked "financial reward" (p = 0.036) as a more significant factors in influencing career choice than did females. CONCLUSIONS: A clear understanding of these factors influencing our students in their career choices and a strategy of recruitment based on these is imperative in order to optimize recruitment of students most suited to working as doctors.Language
engISSN
1479-666X (Print)1479-666X (Linking)
ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1016/j.surge.2010.09.005