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Change in specialty choice during medical school
The Journal of Family Practice
|August 1, 1983
Summary
Medical student specialty choices show moderate stability, with significant variation between fields. Internal medicine preference increased, while family practice choice declined during undergraduate training.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education Research
- Physician Workforce Studies
Background:
- Understanding medical specialty choice stability is crucial for physician workforce planning.
- Previous research indicates variability in specialty preference during medical training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review studies on the stability and change of medical specialty choices among US medical students since 1967.
- To analyze overall choice stability, specialty-specific stability, and shifts in preference.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of fifteen studies from US medical schools.
- Analysis focused on overall and specialty-specific agreement (stability) rates.
- Examination of trends in preference for six major clerkship specialties.
Main Results:
- An overall specialty choice stability rate of 39% was observed.
- Stability rates varied significantly by specialty, from 50% for surgery to 26% for obstetrics-gynecology and pediatrics.
- A notable increase in preference for internal medicine and a decrease for family practice were identified.
Conclusions:
- Medical specialty choices exhibit moderate overall stability but considerable inter-specialty variation.
- Significant shifts in preference occur during undergraduate medical education, particularly towards internal medicine and away from family practice.
- Further research into factors influencing these changing patterns is warranted.
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