Career preferences of final year medical students at a medical school in Kenya – a cross sectional study

This article was published in the BMC Medical Education [© 2017 by Dossajee et al.] and the definite version is available at : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-016-0528-1. The Journal's website is at: https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-016-0528-1

Dades bibliogràfiques
Autors principals: Dossajee, Hussein, Obonyo, Nchafatso, Ahmed, Syed Masud
Altres autors: James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University
Format: Article
Idioma:English
Publicat: © 2016 BMC Medical Education 2017
Matèries:
Accés en línia:http://hdl.handle.net/10361/8491
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-016-0528-1
id 10361-8491
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spelling 10361-84912018-03-12T06:18:14Z Career preferences of final year medical students at a medical school in Kenya – a cross sectional study Dossajee, Hussein Obonyo, Nchafatso Ahmed, Syed Masud James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University Final year medical students Specialization Rural Urban Practice This article was published in the BMC Medical Education [© 2017 by Dossajee et al.] and the definite version is available at : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-016-0528-1. The Journal's website is at: https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-016-0528-1 Background The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended physician to population ratio is 23:10,000. Kenya has a physician to population ratio of 1.8:10,000 and is among 57 countries listed as having a serious shortage of health workers. Approximately 52 % of physicians work in urban areas, 6 % in rural and 42 % in peri-urban locations. This study explored factors influencing the choice of career specialization and location for practice among final year medical students by gender. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on final year students in 2013 at the University of Nairobi’s, School of Medicine in Kenya. Sample size was calculated at 156 students for simple random sampling. Data collected using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics of the population, first and second choices for specialization. Outcome variables collected were factors affecting choice of specialty and location for practice. Bivariate analysis by gender was carried out between the listed factors and outcome variables with calculation of odds ratios and chi-square statistics at an alpha level of significance of 0.05. Factors included in a binomial logistic regression model were analysed to score the independent categorical variables affecting choice of specialty and location of practice. Results Internal medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics/Gynaecology and Paediatrics accounted for 58.7 % of all choices of specialization. Female students were less likely to select Obs/Gyn (OR 0.41, 95 % CI =0.17-0.99) and Surgery (OR 0.33, 95 % CI = 0.13-0.86) but eight times more likely to select Paediatrics (OR 8.67, 95 % CI = 1.91-39.30). Surgery was primarily selected because of the ‘perceived prestige of the specialty’ (OR 4.3 95 % CI = 1.35-14.1). Paediatrics was selected due to ‘Ease of raising a family’ (OR 4.08 95 % CI = 1.08-15.4). Rural origin increased the odds of practicing in a rural area (OR 2.5, 95 % CI = 1.04-6.04). Training abroad was more likely to result in preference for working abroad (OR 9.27 95 % CI = 2.1-41.9). Conclusions The 4 core specialties predominate as career preferences. Females are more likely to select career choices due to ‘ease of raising a family’. Rural origin of students was found to be the most important factor for retention of rural health workforce. This data can be used to design prospective cohort studies in an effort to understand the dynamic influence that governments, educational institutions, work environments, family and friends exert on medical students’ careers. Published 2017-10-04T04:14:00Z 2017-10-04T04:14:00Z 2016-01 Article Dossajee, H., Obonyo, N., & Masud Ahmed, S. (2016). Career preferences of final year medical students at a medical school in Kenya – a cross sectional study. BMC Medical Education, 16(5). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-016-0528-1 14726920 http://hdl.handle.net/10361/8491 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-016-0528-1 en https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-016-0528-1 © 2016 BMC Medical Education
institution Brac University
collection Institutional Repository
language English
topic Final year medical students
Specialization
Rural
Urban
Practice
spellingShingle Final year medical students
Specialization
Rural
Urban
Practice
Dossajee, Hussein
Obonyo, Nchafatso
Ahmed, Syed Masud
Career preferences of final year medical students at a medical school in Kenya – a cross sectional study
description This article was published in the BMC Medical Education [© 2017 by Dossajee et al.] and the definite version is available at : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-016-0528-1. The Journal's website is at: https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-016-0528-1
author2 James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University
author_facet James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University
Dossajee, Hussein
Obonyo, Nchafatso
Ahmed, Syed Masud
format Article
author Dossajee, Hussein
Obonyo, Nchafatso
Ahmed, Syed Masud
author_sort Dossajee, Hussein
title Career preferences of final year medical students at a medical school in Kenya – a cross sectional study
title_short Career preferences of final year medical students at a medical school in Kenya – a cross sectional study
title_full Career preferences of final year medical students at a medical school in Kenya – a cross sectional study
title_fullStr Career preferences of final year medical students at a medical school in Kenya – a cross sectional study
title_full_unstemmed Career preferences of final year medical students at a medical school in Kenya – a cross sectional study
title_sort career preferences of final year medical students at a medical school in kenya – a cross sectional study
publisher © 2016 BMC Medical Education
publishDate 2017
url http://hdl.handle.net/10361/8491
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-016-0528-1
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AT ahmedsyedmasud careerpreferencesoffinalyearmedicalstudentsatamedicalschoolinkenyaacrosssectionalstudy
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