Factors affecting the choice of a future medical specialty of the junior doctors in a third world country

Abstract

ABSTRACTBackground and ObjectivePakistan is facing a major brain drain and as long as there is not a better understanding of the needs and desires of the junior doctors, this exodus towards the greener pastures shall continue. This study is an effort to recognize the factors which influence the choice of a future specialty of young Pakistani doctors in order to help identify the areas which need improvement.Study designThis descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 12th May, 2021 to 2nd August, 2021. Young doctors who had completed their one-year internship in hospitals of Punjab were invited to fill the questionnaire via social media platforms. Data were entered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Chi-square tests were applied for qualitative variables. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsOut of a total 105 participants, 60 (57.1%) were females. More females as compared to males decided the future specialty based on work-life balance (20/27, p= 0.039). Internal medicine and general surgery were the most sought-after fields both before and after the internship. Forty-three (41%) participants wished to change their choice of specialty after their house job experiences. Fifty-eight (55.2%) participants considered the future prospects of the field while deciding their specialty while sixty-three (60%) reported the attitude of the senior doctors as an important deciding factor. The Covid-19 pandemic had an effect on 12 (11.4%) participants’ decision regarding their choice of future specialty.ConclusionMany elements such as internship play a pivotal role in helping the young doctors to narrow their choices. It is important to understand the factors considered by young doctors during their choice of a medical specialty to ensure that a significant proportion of medical work force does not slip through the cracks in our health infrastructure.