Table 3.
Distribution of Interests to Pursue Internal Medicine Across Students’ Demographics, Motivation, and Practice Preference
| Variable | Yes (n = 186) Frequency (%) | No (n = 232) Frequency (%) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 24 (23–26) | 24 (23–26) | 0.243 |
| 18–35 | 107 (57.5) | 121 (52.2) | 0.273 |
| >36 | 79 (42.5) | 111 (47.8) | |
| Sex | |||
| Female | 55 (29.6) | 80 (34.5) | 0.286 |
| Male | 131 (70.4) | 152 (65.5) | |
| Marital status | |||
| Divorced / widower | 0 (0) | 1 (0.4) | 0.200 |
| Married / cohabiting | 18 (9.7) | 33 (14.2) | |
| Single | 168 (90.3) | 198 (85.3) | |
| University | |||
| Busitema University | 36 (19.4) | 40 (17.2) | 0.259 |
| Gulu University | 20 (10.8) | 28 (12.1) | |
| Islamic University in Uganda | 24 (12.9) | 30 (12.9) | |
| Kampala International University | 19 (10.2) | 26 (11.2) | |
| King Caesar University | 24 (12.9) | 19 (8.2) | |
| Makerere University | 40 (21.5) | 41 (17.7) | |
| Mbarara University of Science and Technology | 23 (12.4) | 48 (20.7) | |
| Year of study | |||
| III | 57 (30.6) | 50 (21.6) | 0.106 |
| IV | 61 (32.8) | 87 (37.5) | |
| V | 68 (36.6) | 95 (40.9) | |
| Nationality | |||
| International | 15 (8.1) | 16 (6.9) | 0.651 |
| Ugandan | 171 (91.9) | 216 (93.1) | |
| Region of origin if Ugandan | |||
| Central | 48 (25.8) | 66 (28.4) | 0.680 |
| Eastern | 48 (25.8) | 55 (23.7) | |
| Northern | 20 (10.8) | 32 (13.8) | |
| Western | 55 (29.6) | 62 (26.7) | |
| Type of sponsorship in the current degree | |||
| Government loan scheme | 12 (6.5) | 12 (5.2) | 0.964 |
| Government merit | 67 (36) | 84 (36.2) | |
| Private - NGO | 15 (8.1) | 16 (6.9) | |
| Private - parents | 59 (31.7) | 77 (33.2) | |
| Private - self | 33 (17.7) | 43 (18.5) | |
| Family member is a doctor | |||
| No | 123 (66.1) | 144 (62.1) | 0.390 |
| Yes | 63 (33.9) | 88 (37.9) | |
| Family members’ specialty | |||
| Internal medicine | 174 (93.5) | 222 (95.7) | 0.330 |
| Other | 12 (6.5) | 10 (4.3) | |
| Reason for pursuing MBChB | |||
| Persuaded by family and relatives | 16 (8.6) | 25 (10.8) | 0.458 |
| To make more money | 19 (10.2) | 23 (9.9) | 0.919 |
| Grades dictated admission | 20 (10.8) | 25 (10.8) | 0.944 |
| To make my parents proud | 26 (14) | 33 (14.2) | 0.943 |
| Passion to become a doctor | 151 (81.2) | 170 (73.3) | 0.057 |
| Preferred field of practice | |||
| Public service | 100 (53.8) | 119 (51.3) | 0.615 |
| Private service | 62 (33.3) | 91 (39.2) | 0.214 |
| Research | 53 (28.5) | 58 (25) | 0.421 |
| Academia teaching | 56 (30.1) | 49 (21.1) | 0.035 |
| Administration | 22 (11.8) | 41 (17.7) | 0.097 |
| Interest in research | |||
| No | 17 (9.1) | 50 (21.6) | 0.001 |
| Yes | 169 (90.9) | 182 (78.4) |