Table 3.
Perceptions and selection criteria of students considering and not considering pursuing a career in each of the specialties
| |
Pediatrics |
|
|
Anesthesiology |
General surgery |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | ||||
| Specialty I am positively considering |
(n=75) |
(n=99) |
|
(n=21) |
(n=164) |
|
(n=41) |
(n=142) |
|
| |
32% |
42% |
|
9% |
70% |
|
18% |
61% |
|
| Interesting and challenging specialty |
76% |
22% |
p<0.001 |
90% |
34% |
p<0.001 |
90% |
51% |
p<0.001 |
| Advanced specialty |
57% |
23% |
p<0.001 |
67% |
40% |
p<0.003 |
38% |
33% |
NS |
| Boring specialty |
7% |
36% |
p<0.001 |
21% |
42% |
p=0.003 |
5% |
19% |
p<0.001 |
| Stressful specialty |
36% |
18% |
p<0.023 |
84% |
72% |
NS |
95% |
94% |
NS |
| Controllable lifestyle |
68% |
66% |
NS |
35% |
26% |
NS |
0% |
0% |
NS |
| Work limited hours |
51% |
58% |
NS |
26% |
19% |
NS |
2% |
2% |
NS |
| Allows family time |
64% |
63% |
NS |
37% |
24% |
NS |
0% |
0% |
NS |
| Long working hours |
57% |
23% |
p<0.001 |
67% |
40% |
p<0.003 |
38% |
33% |
NS |
| Prestigious specialty (population) |
36% |
27% |
p<0.05 |
11% |
4% |
NS |
76% |
79% |
NS |
| Prestigious specialty (colleagues) |
22% |
10% |
p=0.03 |
26% |
8% |
NS |
63% |
42% |
p=0.048 |
| Opportunities for private practice |
59% |
60% |
NS |
32% |
16% |
NS |
54% |
42% |
NS |
| High salary |
20% |
21% |
NS |
21% |
21% |
NS |
34% |
31% |
NS |
| Ratio of lifestyle vs income |
65% |
54% |
NS |
28% |
20% |
NS |
5% |
6% |
NS |
| Academic opportunities |
45% |
45% |
NS |
42% |
43% |
NS |
68% |
55% |
NS |
| Specialty in crisis |
8% |
9% |
NS |
95% |
97% |
NS |
73% |
74% |
NS |
| Requested specialty |
77% |
56% |
p=0.007 |
0% |
0% |
NS |
17% |
4% |
NS |
|
Selection criteria |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Bedside specialty |
80% |
66% |
p=0.004 |
63% |
71% |
NS |
63% |
76% |
NS |
| Direct aid to patients |
77% |
77% |
NS |
76% |
78% |
NS |
85% |
74% |
NS |
| Direct patient care |
69% |
55% |
p=0.02 |
43% |
65% |
NS |
44% |
66% |
p=0.009 |
| Time for childrearing |
87% |
58% |
p<0.001 |
71% |
72% |
NS |
49% |
81% |
p<0.001 |
| Family time |
92% |
69% |
p<0.001 |
80% |
80% |
NS |
56% |
88% |
p<0.001 |
| Only daytime work |
44% |
18% |
p<0.001 |
19% |
29% |
NS |
7% |
38% |
p<0.001 |
| Work outside the hospital |
11% |
8% |
NS |
14% |
11% |
NS |
2% |
12% |
p<0.001 |
| Long-term care |
44% |
32% |
NS |
24% |
46% |
NS |
15% |
49% |
p=0.002 |
| Family orientation |
45% |
28% |
p=0.002 |
26% |
39% |
NS |
15% |
42% |
p=0.002 |
| Immediate satisfaction |
49% |
61% |
NS |
79% |
50% |
NS |
90% |
42% |
p<0.001 |
| Operating room time |
23% |
53% |
p<0.001 |
29% |
38% |
NS |
71% |
24% |
p<0.001 |
| Performing procedures |
35% |
61% |
p<0.001 |
57% |
46% |
NS |
90% |
33% |
p<0.001 |
| Controllable lifestyle |
68% |
65% |
NS |
67% |
69% |
NS |
46% |
79% |
p=0.004 |
| “Action” specialty |
25% |
48% |
p<0.002 |
43% |
36% |
NS |
73% |
25% |
p<0.001 |
| Without long-term care |
11% |
13% |
NS |
24% |
10% |
NS |
12% |
11% |
NS |
| On-cal as an attending |
41% |
33% |
NS |
33% |
35% |
NS |
44% |
34% |
p=0.008 |
| High salary |
47% |
48% |
NS |
62% |
45% |
NS |
49% |
46% |
NS |
| Private practice |
47% |
56% |
NS |
38% |
50% |
NS |
51% |
49% |
NS |
| Prestigious specialty |
8% |
15% |
p<0.003 |
5% |
12% |
p<0.037 |
27% |
8% |
p=0.002 |
| Prestigious specialty |
8% |
14% |
NS |
5% |
10% |
NS |
24% |
7% |
p=0.007 |
| Interesting specialty |
91% |
93% |
NS |
81% |
93% |
NS |
93% |
91% |
NS |
| Gender (Female) |
68% |
42% |
p<0.001 |
29% |
52% |
p<0.043 |
24% |
62% |
|
| Marital status (Single) |
47% |
55% |
NS |
|
|
NS |
52% |
59% |
NS |
| |
Orthopedic surgery |
Obstetrics/gynecology |
Family medicine |
||||||
| |
Yes |
No |
|
Yes |
No |
|
Yes |
No |
|
| Specialty I am positively considering |
(n=34) |
(n=155)) |
|
(n=74) |
(n=102) |
|
(n=41) |
(n=137) |
|
| |
15% |
66% |
|
32% |
44% |
|
18% |
59% |
|
| Interesting and challenging specialty |
88% |
27% |
p<0.001 |
93% |
55% |
p<0.001 |
68% |
9% |
p<0.001 |
| Advanced specialty |
68% |
47% |
p=0.036 |
84% |
60% |
p<0.001 |
29% |
23% |
NS |
| Boring specialty |
6% |
39% |
p<0.001 |
3% |
12% |
p<0.001 |
18% |
65% |
P<0.001 |
| Stressful specialty |
44% |
50% |
NS |
88% |
80% |
NS |
12% |
15% |
NS |
| Controllable lifestyle |
26% |
7% |
p=0.011 |
9% |
7% |
NS |
100% |
94% |
NS |
| Work limited hours |
12% |
7% |
NS |
11% |
9% |
NS |
93% |
90% |
NS |
| Allows family time |
18% |
8% |
p=0.043 |
7% |
6% |
NS |
93% |
92% |
NS |
| Long working hours |
85% |
74% |
NS |
89% |
84% |
NS |
15% |
4% |
P=0.028 |
| Prestigious specialty (population) |
59% |
47% |
NS |
71% |
67% |
NS |
8% |
7% |
NS |
| Prestigious specialty (colleagues) |
26% |
38% |
NS |
64% |
57% |
NS |
0% |
3% |
NS |
| Opportunities for private practice |
97% |
79% |
p<0.001 |
88% |
88% |
NS |
30% |
41% |
NS |
| -High salary |
82% |
77% |
NS |
84% |
81% |
NS |
33% |
31% |
NS |
| Reasnable ratio of lifestyle vs. income |
62% |
50% |
p=0.042 |
51% |
39% |
NS |
93% |
73% |
p=0.004 |
| Academic opportunities |
62% |
42% |
NS |
81% |
74% |
NS |
15% |
6% |
P=0.012 |
| Specialty in crisis |
6% |
3% |
NS |
1% |
4% |
NS |
26% |
15% |
NS |
| Requested specialty |
62% |
45% |
p=0.018 |
73% |
73% |
NS |
40% |
28% |
NS |
|
Selecion criteria |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Bedside specialty |
53% |
77% |
NS |
74% |
74% |
NS |
85% |
72% |
p=0.036 |
| Direct aid to patients |
76% |
77% |
NS |
76% |
75% |
NS |
80% |
79% |
NS |
| Direct patient care |
35% |
68% |
p=0.004 |
57% |
65% |
NS |
78% |
57% |
p=0.042 |
| Time for childrearing |
50% |
77% |
p=0.023 |
66% |
73% |
NS |
95% |
63% |
p<0.001 |
| Family time |
62% |
84% |
p=0.016 |
76% |
79% |
NS |
95% |
74% |
p<0.001 |
| Only daytime work |
15% |
34% |
p=0.001 |
26% |
29% |
NS |
51% |
20% |
p<0.001 |
| Work outside the hospital |
6% |
12% |
p=0.046 |
7% |
12% |
NS |
24% |
5% |
p<0.001 |
| Long-term care |
15% |
45% |
p<0.001 |
41% |
35% |
NS |
68% |
28% |
p<0.001 |
| Family orientation |
15% |
39% |
p=0.003 |
36% |
31% |
NS |
70% |
24% |
p<0.001 |
| Immediate satisfaction |
79% |
46% |
p<0.001 |
70% |
48% |
p<0.001 |
34% |
63% |
p=0.003 |
| Operating room time |
74% |
28% |
p<0.001 |
53% |
33% |
p<0.001 |
17% |
46% |
p<0.001 |
| Performing procedures |
85% |
39% |
p<0.001 |
58% |
41% |
NS |
24% |
55% |
p<0.001 |
| Controllable lifestyle |
68% |
70% |
NS |
59% |
74% |
NS |
83% |
62% |
NS |
| “Action” specialty |
59% |
31% |
p<0.001 |
45% |
34% |
p<0.008 |
15% |
48% |
p<0.001 |
| Without long-term care |
9% |
12% |
NS |
11% |
11% |
NS |
10% |
12% |
NS |
| On-cal as an attending |
38% |
37% |
p=0.029 |
37% |
38% |
NS |
27% |
44% |
p=0.006 |
| High salary |
62% |
43% |
p=0.024 |
53% |
42% |
NS |
46% |
47% |
NS |
| Private practice |
62% |
45% |
p<0.001 |
58% |
43% |
p<0.004 |
34% |
56% |
p=0.022 |
| Prestigious specialty (colleagues) |
18% |
9% |
NS |
13% |
12% |
NS |
3% |
18% |
p=0.002 |
| Prestigious specialty (population) |
53% |
48% |
NS |
11% |
11% |
NS |
2% |
16% |
p=0.039 |
| Interesting specialty |
91% |
92% |
NS |
92% |
91% |
NS |
88% |
93% |
NS |
| Gender (female) |
18% |
63% |
p<0.001 |
55% |
47% |
NS |
68% |
46% |
p=0.011 |
| Marital status (single) | 68% | 50% | p=0.021 | 43% | 59% | NS | 44% | 55% | NS |