Table 2. Multivariate Factors Associated With Choosing or Not Choosing Cardiologya.
| Variable | Source of Variable | All Respondents (n = 1123) | Men (n = 625) | Women (n = 494) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factor Within Domain | Domain | Wald Statistic | Adjusted OR (95% CI) | Wald Statistic | Adjusted OR (95% CI) | Wald Statistic | Adjusted OR (95% CI) | |
| I like cardiac pathophysiology | Intellectually stimulating | PC | 68.88 | 4.91 (3.37-7.14) | 39.78 | 4.42 (2.79-7.02) | 12.25 | 190.96 (10.08-3616.92) |
| In cardiology, it is possible to have both a rewarding career /successful family life | Compensation and work integration | PC | 21.86 | 2.11 (1.54-2.88) | 12.70 | 2.06 (1.38-3.05) | NS | NS |
| The length of training in cardiology is reasonableb | Compensation and work integration | PC | 20.80 | 0.53 (0.4-0.69) | 10.61 | 0.57 (0.40-0.80) | 6.88 | 0.06 (0.01-0.50) |
| The opportunity to perform procedures | Professional challenges | PD | 17.60 | 1.78 (1.36-2.32) | 12.57 | 2.00 (1.37-2.94) | 6.86 | 7.53 (1.66-34.13) |
| Tending to patients’ social and psychological needsb | Patient focus | PD | 14.23 | 0.58 (0.44-0.78) | 10.41 | 0.53 (0.36-0.78) | NS | NS |
| Salaries of academic cardiologists are reasonableb | Compensation and work integration | PC | 12.20 | 0.59 (0.44-0.79) | 10.36 | 0.55 (0.38-0.79) | 10.45 | 0.03 (0.00-0.27) |
| I have met positive role models in cardiology | Cardiovascular role model | PC | 11.07 | 1.79 (1.27-2.51) | 7.65 | 1.97 (1.22-3.18) | NS | NS |
| Addressing issues in preventative medicine | Patient focus | PD | 11.02 | 1.58 (1.21-2.07) | 7.21 | 1.63 (1.14-2.33) | NS | NS |
| Caring for critically ill patients | Stimulating career | PD | 10.86 | 1.61 (1.21-2.13) | 9.01 | 1.74 (1.21-2.50) | NS | NS |
| Being an expert in a specific topic | Stimulating Career | PD | 6.72 | 1.64 (1.13-2.38) | 3.91 | 1.67 (1.00-2.76) | NS | NS |
| Exposure to radiation in cardiology is a concern | Adverse job conditions | PC | 5.09 | 1.36 (1.04-1.77) | 5.53 | 1.55 (1.08-2.24) | NS | NS |
| Having long-term relationships with my patients | Patient focus | PD | 5.05 | 1.45 (1.05-2.0) | 4.31 | 1.53 (1.02-2.27) | NS | NS |
| Plan on having (more) children | Demographic | D | 4.62 | 2.10 (1.07-4.13) | NS | NS | 6.16 | 128.08 (2.78-5909.54) |
| Fellowship program where taking maternity/paternity leave is acceptedb | Family-friendly | PD | 4.34 | 0.76 (0.58-0.98) | NS | NS | NS | NS |
| The ability to hire a nanny or pay for private daycare/schoolb | Financial benefits | PD | NS | NS | 7.28 | 0.66 (0.48-0.89) | NS | NS |
| Desire to pursue a challenge | Stimulating career | PD | NS | NS | 7.35 | 2.18 (1.24-3.83) | 5.46 | 0.07 (0.01-0.65) |
| The desire for a less competitive application processa | Professional challenges | PD | NS | NS | NS | NS | 8.02 | 0.15 (0.04-0.55) |
| Having a supportive role model or mentor in my field of choice | Positive role models | PD | NS | NS | NS | NS | 6.54 | 0.09 (0.02-0.57) |
| The ability to work part-timeb | Stable hours | PD | NS | NS | NS | NS | 5.70 | 0.21 (0.06-0.75) |
Abbreviations: D, demographic; NS, not significant; PC, perceptions of cardiology; PD, professional development.
a
Multivariate analysis to determine factors associated with choosing cardiology compared with not choosing cardiology (including those who considered or never considered cardiology). A mark of nonsignificant (NS) indicates that this variable was not independently associated with career choice in a given group and was therefore not part of the model for that group.
b
Variables decreasing the likelihood of choosing cardiology.