Main Article Content
Assessment of career specialty preferences among medical students at the University of Benin, Benin city, Edo state
Abstract
Background: The field of Medical science has a wide range of medical specialties. The choice of a future career in medical practice in any of these specialties can be an overwhelming experience and a challenge for medical students, as there are many factors to consider. This study describes the career preferences of medical students in University of Benin.
Materials and methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional survey of medical students in University of Benin from September 2015 – August 2016. The data obtained was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 21.0 and the level of significance was set at p <0.05.
Results: A total of 654 respondents participated in this study. Two hundred and seventy two (41.6%) and 247 (37.8%) of the respondents chose surgery as the first and second most preferred specialty respectively. Specialty preferences amongst the respondents for the first and second choices were mostly influenced by the individuals’ personalities 416 (63.6%) and 366 (56.0%) respectively. A higher proportion of the respondents 446 (75.5%) desired to practice within Nigeria while 145 (24.5%) of them were willing to practice outside Nigeria. Better experience
and opportunities were the major reason for their choice of practice location accounting for 517 (79.0%) of the respondents.
Conclusion: The most preferred specialties amongst the male respondents were Surgery followed by Medicine. Career enlightenment should be part of the school’s curriculum and trained personnel should be delegated as counselors, mentors as well as career tutors for medical students.
Keywords: Career, Medical specialty, Medical students, Specialty preference.
Materials and methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional survey of medical students in University of Benin from September 2015 – August 2016. The data obtained was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 21.0 and the level of significance was set at p <0.05.
Results: A total of 654 respondents participated in this study. Two hundred and seventy two (41.6%) and 247 (37.8%) of the respondents chose surgery as the first and second most preferred specialty respectively. Specialty preferences amongst the respondents for the first and second choices were mostly influenced by the individuals’ personalities 416 (63.6%) and 366 (56.0%) respectively. A higher proportion of the respondents 446 (75.5%) desired to practice within Nigeria while 145 (24.5%) of them were willing to practice outside Nigeria. Better experience
and opportunities were the major reason for their choice of practice location accounting for 517 (79.0%) of the respondents.
Conclusion: The most preferred specialties amongst the male respondents were Surgery followed by Medicine. Career enlightenment should be part of the school’s curriculum and trained personnel should be delegated as counselors, mentors as well as career tutors for medical students.
Keywords: Career, Medical specialty, Medical students, Specialty preference.
