Career preferences of medical students of Universiti Sains Malaysia

Abstract

A total of 241 medical students from Universiti Sains Malaysia responded to a questionnaire on their career preferences and factors influencing their choice of specialty. Internal medicine (24.5%), obstetrics and gynaecology (19.7%), paediatrics (17.2%) and surgery (14.3%) were the most popular choices. General practice (4.6%), community medicine (4.2%) and medical administration (1.3%) were relatively unattractive. Service specialities such as anaesthesia (3.4%) and radiology (1.7%) were less attractive. Pathology (0.8%) was the least popular choice. In the choice of a career, direct contact with patients (36.5%) was the most important factor when compared to fixed hours of work (35.5%) social prestige (35.5%) and financial rewards (34.1%). Research prospects (6%) and teaching opportunity (5%) were relatively unimportant considerations. The students preferred employment in the government general hospital (29.3%) when compared to teaching in the clinical departments of medical schools (23.1%), private hospitals (15.1%) and private general practice (11.0%). Pre and para clinical departments of medical school attracted only 6.4% of students. A total of 51.6% of the students would like to practise in Kuala Lumpur or a state capital, while only 14.0% chose to seek employment in the district. Another 15.8% of the students would not mind working anywhere in Malaysia.