Abstract
BackgroundThe rapidly rising rates of brain diseases due to the growing ageing population and the explosion in treatment options for many neurological conditions increase the demand for neurologists. We report trends in doctors’ career choices for neurology; investigate factors driving their choices; and compare doctors’ original choices with their specialty destinations.MethodsA multi-cohort, multi-purpose nation-wide study using both online and postal questionnaires collected data on career choice, influencing factors, and career destinations. UK-trained doctors completed questionnaires at one, three, five, and ten years after qualification. They were classified into three groups: graduates of 1974–1983, graduates of 1993–2002, and graduates of 2005–2015.ResultsNeurology was more popular among graduates of 2005–2015 than earlier graduates; however, its attraction for graduates of 2005–2015 doctors reduced over time from graduation. A higher percentage of men than women doctors chose neurology as their first career choice. For instance, among graduates of 2005–2015, 2.2% of men and 1.1% of women preferred neurology as first choice in year 1. The most influential factor on career choice was “enthusiasm for and commitment to the specialty” in all cohorts and all years after graduation. Only 39% who chose neurology in year 1 progressed to become neurologists later. Conversely, only 28% of practicing neurologists in our study had decided to become neurologists in their first year after qualification. By year 3 this figure had risen to 65%, and by year 5 to 76%.ConclusionsCareer decision-making among UK medical graduates is complicated. Early choices for neurology were not highly predictive of career destinations. Some influential factors in this process were identified. Improving mentoring programmes to support medical graduates, provide career counselling, develop professionalism, and increase their interest in neurology were suggested.
Highlights
The rapidly rising rates of brain diseases due to the growing ageing population and the explosion in treatment options for many neurological conditions increase the demand for neurologists
Neurophobia is ascribed to deficiencies in medical education and is characterised by a fear of neuroscience and neurology due to the greater perceived difficulty of neuroscience and of neurological differential diagnosis compared to other specialties [10]
Conventional 95% confidence intervals are shown on the figure as a guide to assessing the significance of the male-female differences
Summary
The rapidly rising rates of brain diseases due to the growing ageing population and the explosion in treatment options for many neurological conditions increase the demand for neurologists. As neurology is a medical specialty involving the diagnosis and treatment of patients with disorders of the nervous system [1], the demand for neurologists is growing faster than supply as a result of demographic changes which have increased the number of older individuals with degenerative neurological conditions; of accelerated progress in science, including new discoveries in functional brain anatomy; the invention of advanced techniques for making a precise diagnosis; and the advent of subspecialisations within neurology [2]. Neurophobia is ascribed to deficiencies in medical education and is characterised by a fear of neuroscience and neurology due to the greater perceived difficulty of neuroscience and of neurological differential diagnosis compared to other specialties [10]
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