Curriculum Needs Redesigning; Enforced by Changes of Interest in Career Planning of Medical Students from Year 1 to Year 5

Abstract

Objective: To assess Year 1, Year 3 and Year 5 medical students' interest in a career in different specialities. Little research addresses how medical students develop their choice of speciality training in Turkey. The purpose of this research was to clarify factors considered by medical students when planning their specialty choice. Design and Methods: Interest and expectation questionnaire to 243 students in Ondokuz Mayis University Medical Faculty in their 1st, 3rd and 5th year of education. Methods: Analysis of the collected data from 243 medical students in the same medical faculty. Data collected by paper based questionnaire from three different school year students in educational year 2009-2010. Results: Although, Year 5 students’ aiming towards to Clinical Sciences by 76.47%, Year 1 students choose Surgical Sciences for their postgraduate career by 61.65%. In their mind, Students started their undergraduate medical education as Surgeon but graduated as Clinical Specialist. Most prominent factor on choosing career is personal interest and personal skills for all students groups. Most wanted speciality is Ophthalmology for all cumulative groups. Conclusion: Departmental director of the medical specialties trying to influence on students positively in favour of their department as a career choice. But the students’ choice is enhanced by own interest and skills. Our findings may be useful to medical faculty and governments and professional medical organizations as a whole are taking actions to make better futuristic plan for community.