The choice of anaesthesia as a career by undergraduates in a developing country

The choice of anaesthesia as a future career by 54 undergraduates of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria was studied. None of the students selected anaesthesia as first choice; the specialty ranked sixth. The short duration of exposure to anaesthesia, insufficient participation in practical anaesthesia during their posting and inadequate provision of teaching aids were considered by the students to require improvement. The authors also suggest early introduction of anaesthesia in their curriculum.