Abstract
Background: Sri Lanka has limited published data to offer on this topic that provides key knowledge in planning undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, health policy planning and implementation. This study aims to describe the choices for career specialization in junior medical graduates working in the medical faculties and tertiary care hospitals of Sri Lanka and determine the factors that influenced the choices. Method: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among 270 junior doctors, to evaluate their preferences for specialization and determinants. Results: There was a predominance of female participants (56.3%). The 4 major specialities were the most preferred choices, with clinical medicine on top (18.9%) while a career in public health was the least favoured option (1.1%). A university career was preferred by 17.4%. There was a statistically significant difference between the specialization choices between men and women. The leading factors that determined the choice were interest and skills and abilities in a given field (45.6%). Conclusions: Trends of choices and determinants have changed over the last 3 decades, possibly due to the introduction of new specialities, among other causes. Career guidance programmes need to be strengthened. Differences in the career choices and their determinants and reasons why some specialties are less favoured should be studied in detail.
Highlights
Introduction and backgroundA doctor’s choice in career specialisation depends on a multitude of factors
There was a predominance of female doctors (152/56.3%). 40.4% graduated from the Colombo Medical Faculty. 98% of the respondents were between 25-30 years of age, with the median age being 27 years. 50.2% respondents belonged to intern and immediate post-intern category
Our study surveyed the choices in specialisation and determinants of junior doctors in 7 major teaching hospitals and 4 medical faculties in 3 provinces with the highest population density
Summary
Introduction and backgroundA doctor’s choice in career specialisation depends on a multitude of factors. Research include studies that have examined the preference for a wide range of specialities[1,2,3] and for a given specialty, for example, infectious diseases, anaesthesiology and psychiatry.[4,5,6] Sri Lanka has only limited published data to offer on this topic, one study done 30 years ago[7] and the other, contemporary.[6] An array of characteristics on this topic have been examined, including gender differences in career choice,[8] progression in the chosen speciality[9,11] perceptions in different stages of their career that includes the undergraduate phase which is influenced by evolving medical curricula.[6,7]. This study aims to describe the choices for career specialization in junior medical graduates working in the medical faculties and tertiary care hospitals of Sri Lanka and determine the factors that influenced the choices
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