Table 3.
Percentage distribution of chosen specialties, by reasons for having rejected an alternative specialty
| Reason for rejection | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chosen specialty | Work–life balance | Job content | Competition and exams | Stressful environment/working conditions | Training content and quality | Training too long | Lack of exposure so far | Career development/career stability | Inadequate salary |
| Medical specialties | 16.6 | 21.9 | 17.8 | 13.2 | 14.2 | 16.4 | 29.8 | 26.7 | 17.9 |
| Paediatrics | 3.8 | 6.2 | 2.9 | 8.1 | 6.0 | 4.3 | 6.4 | 2.2 | 0 |
| Emergency medicine | 3.2 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 1.7 | 3.3 | 2.6 | 4.3 | 0 | 3.6 |
| Surgery | 5.0 | 19.4 | 7.2 | 11.1 | 6.0 | 0 | 6.4 | 11.1 | 17.9 |
| Obstetrics and gynaecology | 2.4 | 4.7 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 4.3 | 0 | 3.6 |
| Anaesthetics | 11.2 | 14.6 | 9.4 | 12.0 | 21.9 | 9.5 | 8.5 | 4.4 | 10.7 |
| Radiology | 3.4 | 1.8 | 6.2 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 5.2 | 2.1 | 11.1 | 7.1 |
| Clinical oncology | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 4.4 | 3.6 |
| Pathology | 1.9 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 0 | 2.2 | 3.6 |
| Psychiatry | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 6.0 | 4.9 | 1.7 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.6 |
| General practice | 44.4 | 16.0 | 35.9 | 32.5 | 26.8 | 50.9 | 25.5 | 24.4 | 25.0 |
| Community medicine | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Public health | 0.9 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other medical specialties | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0 | 0 | 2.2 | 0 |
| Non-medical careers | 0.5 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 6.7 | 3.6 |
| Total (n) | 913 | 793 | 276 | 234 | 183 | 116 | 47 | 45 | 28 |