Influencing Factors of Future Specialty Choice for Undergraduate Medical Students: An Updated Experience from the UAE

Background  Medical students' career choices determine the prospects of the future medical workforce, thus influencing the delivery of medical care. This study aims to identify and provide information about factors affecting the selection of future specialties among medical students. Methods  A cross-sectional study was conducted on students in both preclerkship and clerkship phases at a single institution in the United Arab Emirates. A self-administered questionnaire included questions about demographic data, most preferred specialties, and influential factors. The influential factors were measured using a Likert scale. Results  Surgery and internal medicine were the most desired specialties, respectively. Gender has a significant role in influencing career choice. There was no association between preclerkship and clerkship students' career choices. The most influential factors were seeing good treatment outcomes and having abilities for the specialty. Conclusions  Surgery and internal medicine were the most preferred specialties, even though significant gender differences existed in specialty choices among these students.