Subject preference for specialization and factors influencing it among medical graduates of Regional Institute Of Medical Sciences, Imphal

Abstract

Background: Deciding what to do after MBBS is a tough decision for a medical graduate. It is perceived that postgraduate specialization is essential, and there is tough competition for postgraduate seats in the country. In Manipur, apart from a few assumptions based on individual and personal experiences, there are no significant data available regarding the perspective of medical graduates toward postgraduation (PG). Objectives: The objectives of this study are to determine the specialty preferences of medical graduates working as interns and house officers in the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur, India, and to determine the factors influencing them. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as mean, median, standard deviation, and percentages were used. The Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to determine the association. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS IBM version 21. Results: Overall response rate was 93.6%. Of 147 respondents, 110 were interns and 37 were house officers. The mean age of the participants was 24.56 ± 1.97 years. More than half of the participants were female. Medicine and pediatrics were the two subjects preferred by most medical graduates. Females had more intention to do PG. Conclusion: Majority of the participants were inclined toward pursuing PG in the clinical subjects. Interest in the subject and love for patients were the two major reasons for subject preference.