Factors influencing specialty choice and the effect of recall bias on findings from Irish medical graduates: a cross-sectional, longitudinal study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite being a vital part of medical workforce planning and development, how medical students and graduates choose their career specialty is still not well understood. This study aimed to identify the factors medical graduates consider important influences in their choice of specialty after their first year of practice, and to test the validity of relying on respondent recall to measure changes in specialty choice.

Methods

The baseline survey was administered online to all final year students in Ireland's six medical schools. Those who consented to follow-up (n = 483) were surveyed 18 months later (June 2018), during the final month of first year of practice.

Results

The baseline survey had a 67% (n = 483) response rate. At the follow-up survey, (n = 232,

SUBMITTER: Cronin FM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7709240 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature