Table 1.
Questionnaire response, illustrating the effect of COVID-19 subgrouped by certainty choice level and medical year
| Item | Total (n = 1984) | Chi square | P | 3rd year (n = 624) | Chi square | P | 4th year (n = 473) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Level | Moderate level | Weak level |
Strong Level | Moderate level | Weak level | Strong Level | Moderate level | Weak level | |||||
| N (%)a | N (%)a | N (%)a | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | |||||
| 72 (3.6%) | 343 (17.3%) | 1569 (79.1%) | |||||||||||
| Do you think the COVID-19 pandemic will affect your choice of specialty? | |||||||||||||
| Yes | 20 (2.5%) | 145 (17.9%) | 645 (79.6%) | 5.4 | .066 | 4 (0.6%) | 44 (7.1%) | 187 (30%) | 9.9 | .007 | 4 (0.8%) | 34 (7.2%) | 169 (35.7%) |
| No | 52 (4.4%) | 198 (16.9%) | 924 (78.7%) | 1 (0.2%) | 46 (7.4%) | 342 (54.8%) | 6 (1.3%) | 48 (10.1%) | 212 (44.8%) | ||||
| If you answered Yes to the previous question, please tell us why.b | |||||||||||||
| I may not have the opportunity to explore my specialty or specialties of interest | 13 (2.4%) | 82 (15.2%) | 444 (82.4%) | 5.9 | .053 | 3 (0.48%) | 22 (3.5%) | 117 (18.75%) | 4.2 | .122 | 1 (0.2%) | 18 (3.8%) | 113 (24%) |
| I have discovered new interests or priorities | 5 (1.8%) | 48 (17.1%) | 227 (81.1%) | 3.2 | .200 | 1 (0.2%) | 15 (2.4%) | 71 (11.4%) | 0.8 | .661 | 3 (0.6%) | 12 (2.5%) | 64 (13.5%) |
| I no longer have the ability to support my application | 3 (1.7%) | 27 (15.4%) | 145 (82.9%) | 2.7 | .263 | 0 | 8 (1.3%) | 46 (7.4%) | 0.5 | .786 | 0 | 7 (1.5%) | 37 (7.8%) |
| Other | 1 (7.7%) | 1 (7.7%) | 11 (84.6%) | 0 | 0 | 5 (0.8%) | 0 | 0 | 4 (0.8%) | ||||
| What part(s) of your application are you concerned about?b | |||||||||||||
| Away rotations | 0 | 6 (17.1%) | 29 (82.9%) | 1.4 | .507 | 0 | 0 | 10 (1.6%) | 1.8 | .402 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | 10 (2.1%) |
| Research | 1 (2.6%) | 10 (26.3%) | 27 (71.1%) | 2.2 | .325 | 0 | 4 (0.6%) | 9 (1.4%) | 2.9 | .229 | 0 | 2 (0.4%) | 8 (1.7%) |
| Letter of Recommendation | 1 (5%) | 4 (20%) | 15 (75%) | 0.2 | .890 | 0 | 0 | 7 (1.1%) | 1.3 | .530 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | 2 (0.4%) |
| Networking | 1(4.5%) | 4(18.2%) | 17(77.3%) | 0.1 | .965 | 0 | 3 (0.48%) | 11 (1.76%) | 0.7 | .716 | 0 | 0 | 4 (0.8%) |
| Taking board examination | 1 (2.9) | 6(17.6%) | 27(79.4%) | 0.0 | .976 | 0 | 0 | 11 (1.76%) | 2.0 | .366 | 0 | 4 (0.8%) | 6 (1.3%) |
| Other | 1 (33.3%) | 1 (33.3%) | 1 (33.3%) | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Do you think that the COVID-19 pandemic changed your perception toward future medical specialty and career? | |||||||||||||
| Yes | 25 (2.9%) | 162 (18.5%) | 687 (78.6%) | 4.0 | .136 | 4 (0.6%) | 48 (7.7%) | 246 (39.4%) | 3.5 | .170 | 5 (1.1%) | 44 (9.3%) | 180 (38%) |
| No | 47 (4.2%) | 181 (16.3%) | 882 (79.5%) | 1 (0.2%) | 42 (6.7%) | 283 (45.35%) | 5 (1.1%) | 38 (8%) | 201 (42.5%) | ||||
| What aspect of your perception changed?b | |||||||||||||
| Considering local training programs only (avoid abroad applications for medical training) | 15 (4.2%) | 55 (15.6%) | 283 (80.2%) | 1.2 | .537 | 3 (0.48%) | 17 (2.7%) | 95 (15.2%) | 5.8 | .054 | 3 (0.6%) | 11 (2.3%) | 73 (15.4%) |
| Trying to avoid the specialty with frontline exposure to the pandemic (e.g., ER, anesthesia) | 4 (1.1%) | 66 (18.5%) | 286 (80.3%) | 8.0 | .018 | 1 (0.2%) | 24 (3.8%) | 96 (15.38%) | 3.6 | .168 | 0 | 15 (3.2%) | 82 (17.3%) |
| Considering specialty of basic science without clinical exposure | 2 (1.1%) | 30 (16.9%) | 145 (81.9%) | 3.6 | .169 | 0 | 14 (2.2%) | 61 (9.8%) | 1.9 | .393 | 1 (0.2%) | 8 (1.7%) | 41 (8.7%) |
| Considering specialty with short residency training | 2 (1.1%) | 34 (18.4%) | 149 (80.5%) | 3.9 | .146 | 0 | 12 (1.9%) | 58 (9.3%) | 1.1 | .586 | 1 (0.2%) | 10 (2.1%) | 40 (8.5%) |
| Working outside the field (away from medical specialties e.g., business field) | 2 (1.3%) | 24 (15.1%) | 133 (83.6%) | 3.6 | .164 | 0 | 6 (0.96%) | 54 (8.7%) | 1.6 | .439 | 0 | 5 (1.1%) | 30 (6.3%) |
| Considering specialties with frontline exposure | 5 (2.5%) | 26 (13.1%) | 168 (84.4%) | 3.8 | .147 | 0 | 7 (1.1%) | 76 (12.2%) | 3.7 | .160 | 1 (0.2%) | 8 (1.7%) | 37 (7.8%) |
| Other | 1 (3.2%) | 6 (19.4%) | 24 (77.4%) | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | 13 (2.1%) | 0 | 3 (0.6%) | 3 (0.6%) | ||||
| Has the COVID-19 pandemic made you more likely to take an extra year in clinical service before applying to residency? | |||||||||||||
| No | 56 (3.9%) | 231 (16.1%) | 1149 (80.0%) | 6.0 | .051 | 4 (0.6%) | 33 (5.3%) | 124 (19.9%) | 14.8 | .001 | 2 (0.4%) | 27 (5.7%) | 113 (24%) |
| Yes | 16 (2.9%) | 112 (20.4%) | 420 (76.6%) | 1 (0.2%) | 57 (9.1%) | 405 (64.9%) | 8 (1.7%) | 55 (11.6%) | 268 (56.7%) | ||||
| If you answered Yes to the previous question, please tell us why. | |||||||||||||
| It would give me more time to explore different specialties | 10 (3.2%) | 55 (17.6%) | 247 (79.2%) | 0.2 | .901 | 3 (0.48%) | 14 (2.2%) | 78 (12.5%) | 7.9 | .020 | 1 (0.2%) | 13 (2.7%) | 68 (14.4%) |
| It would make me more likely to match to my satisfaction | 3 (1.3%) | 39 (16.5%) | 195 (82.3%) | 4.6 | .100 | 1 (0.2%) | 17 (2.7%) | 55 (0.8%) | 5.7 | .058 | 0 | 7 (1.5%) | 48 (10.1%) |
| I may not be able to meet the requirements for residency acceptance | 3 (1.4%) | 39 (17.7%) | 178 (80.9%) | 3.6 | .163 | 0 | 13 (2.1%) | 57 (9.1%) | 1.7 | .432 | 0 | 8 (1.7%) | 39 (8.2%) |
| I want to use the extra year to explore new interests that developed during the pandemic | 3 (1.8%) | 23 (13.7%) | 142 (84.5%) | 3.7 | .151 | 0 | 7 (1.1%) | 61 (9.8%) | 1.7 | .421 | 1 (0.2%) | 6 (1.3%) | 32 (6.7%) |
| Other | 0 | 1 (11.1%) | 8 (88.9%) | 0 | 0 | 4 (0.6%) | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | ||||
| Item | Chi square | P | 5th year (n = 476) | Chi square | P | Internship year (n = 411) | Chi square | P | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Level | Moderate level | Weak level | Strong Level | Moderate level | Weak level | |||||||
| N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | |||||||
| Do you think the COVID-19 pandemic will affect your choice of specialty? | ||||||||||||
| Yes | 0.3 | .866 | 2 (0.4%) | 33 (7%) | 182 (38.2%) | 2.1 | .353 | 10 (2.4%) | 34 (8.3%) | 107 (26%) | 6.9 | .032 |
| No | 5 (1%) | 49 (10.3%) | 205 (43%) | 40 (9.7%) | 55 (13.4%) | 165 (40.1%) | ||||||
| If you answered Yes to the previous question, please tell us why.b | ||||||||||||
| I may not have the opportunity to explore my specialty or specialties of interest | 3.6 | .164 | 2 (0.4%) | 21 (4.4%) | 136 (28.6%) | 2.8 | .242 | 7 (1.7%) | 21 (5.1%) | 78 (19%) | 5.0 | .080 |
| I have discovered new interests or priorities | 1.5 | .466 | 0 | 11 (2.3%) | 54 (11.3%) | 1.1 | .565 | 1 (0.2%) | 10 (2.4%) | 38 (9.2%) | 5.8 | .055 |
| I no longer have the ability to support my application | 1.2 | .560 | 0 | 7 (1.5%) | 37 (7.8%) | 0.8 | .668 | 3 (0.7%) | 5 (1.2%) | 25 (6%) | 1.5 | .478 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | 1 (0.2%) | 1 (0.2%) | 1 (0.2%) | ||||||
| What part(s) of your application are you concerned about?b | ||||||||||||
| Away rotations | 0.8 | .660 | 0 | 3 (0.6%) | 6 (1.26%) | 1.8 | .415 | 0 | 2 (0.5%) | 3 (0.7%) | 1.4 | .489 |
| Research | 0.3 | .897 | 0 | 3 (0.6%) | 7 (1.5%) | 1.3 | .528 | 1 (0.2%) | 1 (0.2%) | 3 (0.7%) | 0.3 | .865 |
| Letter of Recommendation | 0.6 | .748 | 0 | 2 (0.4%) | 3 (0.6%) | 1.9 | .391 | 1 (0.2%) | 1 (0.2%) | 3 (0.7%) | 0.3 | .865 |
| Networking | 1.0 | .614 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | 0.2 | .891 | 1 (0.2%) | 1 (0.2%) | 1 (0.2%) | 1.8 | .407 |
| Taking board examination | 3.8 | .151 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | 6 (1.26%) | 0.2 | .924 | 1 (0.2%) | 1 (0.2%) | 4 (1%) | 0.2 | .918 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | 1 (0.2%) | 0 | ||||||
| Do you think that the COVID-19 pandemic changed your perception toward future medical specialty and career? | ||||||||||||
| Yes | 1.1 | .571 | 1 (0.2%) | 31 (6.5%) | 153 (32.1%) | 1.9 | .388 | 15 (3.6%) | 39 (9.5%) | 108 (26.3%) | 2.6 | .274 |
| No | 6 (1.26%) | 51 (10.7%) | 234 (49%) | 35 (8.5%) | 50 (12.2%) | 164 (40%) | ||||||
| What aspect of your perception changed?b | ||||||||||||
| Considering local training programs only (avoid abroad applications for medical training) | 2.4 | .301 | 1 (0.2%) | 12 (2.5%) | 64 (13.4%) | 0.2 | .905 | 8 (1.9%) | 15 (3.6%) | 51 (12.4%) | 0.3 | .853 |
| Trying to avoid the specialty with frontline exposure to the pandemic (e.g., ER, anesthesia) | 3.1 | .216 | 0 | 15 (3.2%) | 64 (13.4%) | 1.6 | .457 | 3 (0.7%) | 12 (2.9%) | 44 (10.7%) | 3.6 | .163 |
| Considering specialty of basic science without clinical exposure | 0.1 | .963 | 0 | 3 (0.6%) | 32 (6.7%) | 2.7 | .263 | 1 (0.2%) | 5 (1.2%) | 11 (2.7%) | 1.1 | .584 |
| Considering specialty with short residency training | 0.2 | .901 | 0 | 4 (0.8%) | 29 (6.1%) | 1.2 | .536 | 1 (0.2%) | 8 (1.9%) | 22 (5.4%) | 2.6 | .274 |
| Working outside the field (away from medical specialties e.g., business field) | 1.1 | .569 | 0 | 7 (1.5%) | 26 (5.5%) | 0.9 | .645 | 2 (0.5%) | 6 (1.5%) | 23 (6%) | 1.3 | .520 |
| Considering specialties with frontline exposure | 0.0 | .991 | 0 | 4 (0.8%) | 35 (7.5%) | 2.2 | .334 | 4 (1%) | 7 (1.7%) | 20 (4.9%) | 0.0 | .979 |
| Other | 0 | 2 (0.4%) | 4 (0.8%) | 1 (0.2%) | 0 | 4 (1%) | ||||||
| Has the COVID-19 pandemic made you more likely to take an extra year in clinical service before applying to residency? | ||||||||||||
| No | 0.8 | .660 | 1 (0.2%) | 27 (5.7%) | 112 (23.5%) | 1.3 | .522 | 9 (2.2%) | 25 (6.1%) | 71 (17.3%) | 1.8 | .398 |
| Yes | 6 (1.26%) | 55 (11.6%) | 275 (57.8%) | 41 (10%) | 46 (11.2%) | 201 (49%) | ||||||
| If you answered Yes to the previous question, please tell us why. | ||||||||||||
| It would give me more time to explore different specialties | 0.6 | .751 | 1 (0.2%) | 15 (3.2%) | 65 (13.7%) | 0.1 | .930 | 5 (1.2%) | 13 (3.2%) | 36 (8.8%) | 0.6 | .740 |
| It would make me more likely to match to my satisfaction | 2.4 | .297 | 0 | 8 (1.7%) | 52 (11%) | 1.9 | .395 | 2 (0.5%) | 7 (1.7%) | 40 (9.7%) | 6.4 | .041 |
| I may not be able to meet the requirements for residency acceptance | 1.1 | .564 | 0 | 6 (1.26%) | 48 (10%) | 2.6 | .266 | 3 (0.7%) | 12 (2.9%) | 34 (8.3%) | 0.2 | .375 |
| I want to use the extra year to explore new interests that developed during the pandemic | 0.1 | .990 | 0 | 4 (0.8%) | 30 (6.3%) | 1.4 | .499 | 2 (0.5%) | 6 (1.5%) | 19 (4.6%) | 0.6 | .734 |
| Other | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | 2 (0.4%) | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | ||||||
aPercentages were calculated based on the total of number of students who responded to the items
bRespondents could select more than one answer