Career preferences among final year medical students and house officers: A multicentre survey in Southwest Nigeria

Authors

  • A. O. Idowu
  • O. O. Oyebisi
  • O. Ehioghae
  • E. Ijiomah
  • O. A. Adesegun
  • J. O. Ogunkoya
  • B. Osibowale
  • A. Osonuga
  • A. A. Idowu
  • F. Bamidele

Keywords:

Career Choices, Medical Students, House officers, Medical Education, Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: Career preferences of medical trainees have the potential to shape the future of the healthcare workforce of any nation. This study aimed to determine the factors that influence career choices of medical students and house officers (interns) in two institutions located in Southwest Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out amongst final year medical students and interns in two medical universities and their corresponding teaching hospitals in Southwest Nigeria. A questionnaire was used to obtain socio-demographic data, career choices, reasons behind career choices and the presence and influence of mentorship on career choices. Responses were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 21, and descriptive statistics generated.

Results: Obstetrics & Gynecology and Surgical specialties were the most preferred career choices by the medical students, while Surgical and Medical specialties were most preferred by the interns. Personal interest and other personal reasons were the top motivating factors for the career choices amongst the medical students of both institutions, while personal interest and future job opportunities were the top reasons for the career choices amongst the interns of both institutions.  Mentorship was lacking for most of the medical students and house officers, except in one of the teaching hospitals, where over half of the interns had career mentors.

Conclusion: Attention should be paid to the reasons behind career choices, in order to channel efforts towards making clinical specialties become attractive to young medical trainees, as the future of the health workforce in the nation depends on it.

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Published

2023-10-08

How to Cite

Idowu, A. O., Oyebisi, O. O., Ehioghae, O., Ijiomah, E., Adesegun, O. A., Ogunkoya, J. O., Osibowale, B., Osonuga, A., Idowu, A. A., & Bamidele, F. (2023). Career preferences among final year medical students and house officers: A multicentre survey in Southwest Nigeria. Research Journal of Health Sciences, 8(1), 36–44. Retrieved from https://rjhs.org/index.php/home/article/view/235

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2020): Research Journal of Health Sciences

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Original Article

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