Career choices of undergraduate medical students

Background. Many factors influence the career choices of undergraduate medical students. We sought to identify the career choices of medical students in an Indian medical college and what influenced these choices. Methods. We conducted a questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey. We included medical students of all semesters at a medical college. The sociodemographic data, first choice of career on the day of the questionnaire and rating of 34 factors influencing choices were recorded. Results. Two hundred and eighty-two questionnaires were analysed. The most preferred career choices were medicine and surgery, followed by orthopaedics; 3 students each chose obstetrics and gynaecology, and anaesthesia; none chose community medicine. Second-semester students made choices before and the rest after joining medical college. Significantly, senior students were disinclined to take up surgery (p = 0.003), preferring orthopaedics instead (p = 0.017). 'Personal interest' was rated by 80% of students as important in influencing their choice, followed by stability (58%), reputation of the specialty (56%) and lifestyle (55%). Conclusion. The career choices of medical students at our institution were biased against some subjects. Often, choices develop during the course. Role modelling by faculty during departmental postings could be a factor influencing choice.