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. 2007 Jan;53(1):95, 95:e.1-5, 94.

Why medical students switch careers: changing course during the preclinical years of medical school

Ian Scott  1 , Margot C Gowans, Bruce Wright, Fraser Brenneis
Affiliations

Why medical students switch careers: changing course during the preclinical years of medical school

Ian Scott et al. Can Fam Physician. 2007 Jan.

Abstract
in English, French

Objective: To determine why students switch their career choices during the preclinical years of medical school.

Design: Two questionnaires were administered: the first at the beginning of medical school and the second about 3 years later just before students entered clinical clerkship.

Setting: University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, University of Toronto, University of Ottawa, Queen's University, University of Western Ontario, University of Calgary, and McMaster University.

Participants: Entering cohorts from 10 medical school classes at 8 Canadian medical schools.

Main outcome measures: Proportion of students who switched career choices and factors that influenced students to switch.

Results: Among the 845 eligible respondents to the second survey, 19.6% (166 students) had switched between categories of family medicine and specialties, with a net increase of 1.2% (10 students) to family medicine. Most students who switched career choices had already considered their new careers as options when they entered medical school. Seven factors influenced switching career choices; 6 of these (medical lifestyle, encouragement, positive clinical exposure, economics or politics, competence or skills, and ease of residency entry) had significantly different effects on students who switched to family medicine than on students who switched out of family medicine. The seventh factor was discouragement by a physician.

Conclusion: Seven factors appear to affect students who switch careers. Two of these factors, economics or politics and ease of residency entry, have not been previously described in the literature. This study provides specific information on why students change their minds about careers before they get to the clinical years of medical training.

OBJECTIF: Déterminer pourquoi les étudiants en médecine modifient leur choix de carrière durant les années précliniques.

TYPE D’ÉTUDE: Deux questionnaires ont été distribués, le premier au début du cours de médecine et le second environ 3 ans plus tard, juste avant le début des stages cliniques.

CONTEXTE: Les universités de Calgary, d’Ottawa, de Toronto, de Colombie-Britannique, d’Alberta, de Western Ontario et les universités Queen’s et McMaster.

PARTICIPANTS: Les cohortes entrantes de 10 classes de 8 facultés de médecine canadiennes.

PRINCIPAUX PARAMÈTRES ÉTUDIÉS: Proportion des étudiants ayant modifié leur choix de carrière et facteurs ayant influencé ce changement.

RÉSULTATS: Parmi les 845 participants admissibles qui ont répondu ausecond questionnaire, 165 (19,6%) avaient modifié leur choix entre la médecine familiale et les spécialités, avec une nette augmentation de 10 étudiants (1,2%) vers la médecine familiale. Pour la plupart des étudiants qui ont changé d’option, ce nouveau choix avait déjà été envisagé comme option à leur entrée en médecine. Sept facteurs ont influencé les changements; 6 d’entre eux (type de vie médicale, encouragements, exposition clinique favorable, facteurs économiques ou politiques, habiletés ou compétences particulières et facilité d’obtention d’un poste de résidence) agissaient de façon significativement différente chez ceux qui avaient changé pour la médecine familiale vs une spécialité. Le 7efacteur était l’avis dissuasif d’un médecin.

CONCLUSION: Sept facteurs semblent influencer les étudiants qui modifient leur choix de carrière. Deux d’entre eux (facteurs économiques ou politiques et facilité d’obtention d’un poste de résidence) n’ont pas été décrits dans la littérature existante. Cette étude apporte des informations spécifiques sur les raisons pour lesquelles les étudiants changent d’idée sur leur carrière future avant d’entreprendre les années de formation clinique.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow of students
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