Table 3.

Motives of Yes- and No-groups for applying for medical school

	YES (Would start studying medicine again)			NO (Would not start studying medicine again)			Differences between groups
	1998	2008	Sig.	1998	2008	Sig.	1998	2008
n	1,281-1,286	980-987		437-441	196-198
	%	%	p	%	%	p	%-units	%-units
Vocation	47	45		27	26		20**	19**
Wide range of professional opportunities	64	47	**	53	31	**	11**	16**
Interest in people	84	83		73	71		11**	12**
Prestigious profession	64	60	*	59	58		5	2
A physician in family or among close relatives	15	17		13	14		2	3
Good salary	44	41		48	41	*	−4	0
Own or close relative’s illness	6	6		8	6		−2	0
Career guidance	3	2		5	2		−2	0
Shortage of physicians	4	1	**	9	3	**	−5**	−2*
Achievements at school	56	39	**	56	44	**	0	−5
Interest in research	17	14	*	17	21		0	−7*

Motives for applying for medical school (answers “Quite a lot” and “Very much” to the question “To what extent did the following factors influence your desicion to apply for a medical school?”) of those who answered “Yes” or “No” to the question “If you were starting your studies now, would you start studying medicine?” in the Physician 1998 and Physician 2008 studies. The items are sorted by the difference in 2008. Note **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05. The question was not asked in the Junior Physician 1988 study