Table 2.
Factor analysis of specialty preferences associated with future career plans
| Factor structure (Factor loading) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
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| Item | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Factor 1: Educational experience (Cronbach's α=0.84) | ||||||
| 15) Received excellent teachings | 0.92 | 0.13 | −0.12 | −0.06 | 0.06 | −0.06 |
| 14) Memorable experience at a class or clinical rotation | 0.79 | 0.10 | −0.08 | −0.08 | 0.02 | 0.13 |
| 16) Comfortable atmosphere at the specialty department | 0.77 | −0.11 | 0.02 | 0.16 | −0.10 | −0.01 |
| 17) Encounter with role model teachers | 0.56 | −0.19 | 0.26 | 0.08 | −0.03 | −0.01 |
| Factor 2: Job security (Cronbach's α=0.73) | ||||||
| 19) Advice/expectation of parents | 0.05 | 0.59 | 0.11 | −0.19 | −0.09 | 0.07 |
| 26) Expected income | 0.01 | 0.58 | −0.06 | 0.32 | 0.07 | 0.09 |
| 24) Ease of opening a practice | −0.10 | 0.54 | −0.01 | 0.19 | 0.20 | 0.04 |
| 25) Expectation to inherit the practice of my parents/relatives | −0.09 | 0.50 | −0.00 | 0.03 | −0.13 | 0.11 |
| 23) Job availability | 0.18 | 0.46 | 0.10 | 0.09 | 0.04 | −0.06 |
| Factor 3: Advice from others (Cronbach's α=0.81) | ||||||
| 20) Advice from senior students/residents | −0.04 | 0.04 | 0.84 | 0.01 | −0.12 | 0.04 |
| 21) Advice from teachers/consultants | 0.07 | −0.02 | 0.81 | 0.01 | 0.05 | −0.05 |
| 22) Influence of friends | −0.08 | 0.16 | 0.57 | 0.04 | −0.01 | 0.04 |
| Factor 4: Work–life balance (Cronbach's α=0.78) | ||||||
| 27) Working hours | −0.02 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.84 | −0.01 | −0.07 |
| 28) Attainable lifestyle | 0.06 | 0.04 | −0.02 | 0.67 | 0.11 | 0.01 |
| 30) Risk of any malpractice law suits | 0.04 | 0.16 | 0.10 | 0.52 | −0.06 | 0.02 |
| Factor 5: Scientific orientation (Cronbach's α=0.70) | ||||||
| 5) Interest in surgical procedures or technologies | −0.08 | 0.13 | 0.08 | −0.21 | 0.77 | −0.14 |
| 6) Mastering a specialty | 0.00 | −0.08 | −0.00 | 0.04 | 0.62 | −0.02 |
| 4) Interest in research or scientific aspects | −0.00 | −0.10 | −0.03 | 0.16 | 0.60 | 0.24 |
| 2) Interest in organ specialty | 0.05 | −0.07 | −0.03 | 0.11 | 0.48 | 0.04 |
| Factor 6: Personal reasons (Cronbach's α=0.55) | ||||||
| 11) I suffer(ed) from an illness in that specialty | −0.11 | 0.02 | −0.09 | 0.15 | −0.03 | 0.56 |
| 12) Friend/family suffer(ed) from an illness in that specialty | −0.02 | 0.10 | 0.09 | −0.09 | 0.01 | 0.56 |
| 13) Became interested in the specialty before medical school | 0.12 | 0.12 | −0.02 | 0.15 | −0.01 | 0.42 |
| 3) Interest in targeted populations such as children or the elderly; | 0.12 | −0.13 | 0.07 | −0.09 | 0.11 | 0.38 |
| Factor: Inter-factor correlations | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 1 | 1.00 | |||||
| 2 | 0.16 | 1.00 | ||||
| 3 | 0.29 | 0.46 | 1.00 | |||
| 4 | 0.25 | 0.53 | 0.47 | 1.00 | ||
| 5 | 0.08 | −0.01 | 0.03 | 0.88 | 1.00 | |
| 6 | 0.22 | 0.18 | 0.20 | 0.09 | 0.12 | 1.00 |
The factor analysis was conducted with IBM SPSS using a maximum likelihood method and promax rotation. Items excluded from the factor analysis because of a ceiling effect were: 1) Interest in clinical work of the specialty and 8) I feel it rewarding to work in the specialty, low factor loading (<0.35); 7) I have an aptitude for the specialty; 9) Prospect for further development of the field; 10) Highly respected in society; and 29) Influence of future health care reform, correlation with two factors to the same extent; 18) Encounter with a role model junior doctor