Change of Specialty Preference of the 2 Private Premedical School Students in Daegu City: 1998-2001

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Abstract :

Jung Jeung Lee, M.D., Choong Won Lee, M.D., Kyung Tak Yoo, M.D.

Department of Preventive Medicine

Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea

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Key Words :

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Table 1. General characteristics of study population (I)

Sex

Male 53 (84.1) 55 (78.6)

Female 10 (15.9) 15 (21.4)

Age(years)

18-19 37 (58.7) 27 (38.5)

20-21 23 (36.5) 22 (45.7)

22- 3 (4.8) 11 (15.7)

Birth order*

1st 41 (65.1) 35 (50.0)

< 2nd 22 (34.9) 35 (50.0)

Economic status

High 3 (4.8) 7 (10.0)

Middle 59 (93.7) 61 (87.1)

Low 1 (1.6) 2 (2.9)

Marital status

Unmarried 63 (100.0) 70 (100.0)

Religion

Buddhism 8 (12.7) 9 (12.9)

Christian 16 (25.4) 11 (15.7)

Catholic 10 (15.9) 9 (12.9)

None 29 (46.0) 41 (58.5)

Experience of living in rural area

Yes 11 (17.5) 21 (30.0)

No 52 (82.5) 49 (70.7)

Total 63 (100.0) 70 (100.0)

Variables Year 1998 (college A)

Unit: person (%) Year 2001 (college B)

* p<0.05 measured by chi-square test.

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Table 2. General characteristics of study population ( )

Admission to medical college*

Entered a medical college after 34 (54.0) 22 (31.4)

finishing the high school

Cram to repeat a medical college 20 (31.7) 23 (32.9)

entrance exam

Have a experience of studied other 9 (14.3) 25 (35.7)

field of study Career choice*

Practitioner 8 (12.7) 28 (40.0)

Work in general hospital 31 (49.2) 19 (27.0)

Professor in teaching hospital 21 (33.3) 21 (30.3)

Others 3 (4.8) 2 (2.9)

People who influenced to go to medical college

None (him- or herself) 40 (63.5) 38 (54.3)

Parents 21 (33.3) 23 (32.9)

Brothers/Sisters 2 (3.2) 4 (5.7)

Friends - -

Teachers - 3 (4.3)

Others - 2 (2.8)

Total 63(100.0) 70 (100.0)

Variables Year 1998 (college A)

Unit: person (%) Year 2001 (college B)

* p 0.05 measured by chi-square test.

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Table 3. Reasons for choosing the medical school (results of multiple answers)

To serve the public by giving medical care 22 (34.9) 32 (45.7)

To live a life with secure income 43 (68.3) 42 (60.0)

To have a lifelong job 41 (65.1) 33 (47.1)

To follow the demand of family members

9 (14.3) 16 (22.9)

or teachers

School achievements and the results of the college

18 (28.6) 9 (12.9)

entrance exam were sufficient to select the medical course

Aptitude for medical science 20 (31.7) 15 (21.4)

Prestige of speciality 10 (15.9) 12 (17.1)

Others - 1 (1.4)

Variables Year 1998

(College A)

Unit: person (%) Year 2001 (College B)

Table 4. Reasons for choosing this medical school (results of multiple answers)

The high school achievements were sufficient to select

56 (88.9) 56 (80.0)

this school

The reputation of this school in the community 8 (12.7) 11 (15.7)

Recommendation of the parents or teachers 15 (23.8) 19 (27.1)

Economic reasons including the difficulty in paying 5 (7.9) 11 (15.7) educational expenses and the scholarship from the school

The history of the school 2 (3.2) 4 (5.7)

Others 4 (6.3) 5 (7.1)

Variables Year 1998

(College A)

Unit: person (%)

Year 2001

(College B)

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Male Female 1998 2001 Yes No

Total 106(100.0) 27 (100.0)

Table 5. Comparison between each factor based on whether the respondent has a specialty preferred

Do you participate in intracurricular activities?

Tend to participate in 90 (84.9) 23 (85.1)

Average (or have no idea) 10 (9.4) 4 (12.9)

Do not participate in 6 (5.6) -

What is your degree of satisfaction on studying medical science?

Satisfactory 77 (72.6) 15 (55.5)

Average 26 (24.5) 10 (37.0)

Unsatisfactory 3 (2.8) 2 (7.4)

Is there a doctor within your family members (including cousins)?

Yes 33 (31.1) 7 (25.9)

No 73 (68.9) 20 (74.1)

Preferred speciality Have preferred speciality Have no idea

Unit: person (%)

Table 6. Preferred speciality by each characteristics

Experience of living in rural area Speciality

Psychiatry 7 (8.0) 4 (16.0) 6 (9.5) 5 (7.1) 1 (3.1) 10 (9.9)

Pediatrics 7 (5.4) 1 (4.0) 4 (6.3) 4 (5.7) 3 (9.4) 5 (5.0)

Internal medicine 5 (7.1) 4 (16.0) 3 (4.8) 6 (8.6) 1 (3.1) 8 (7.9) General & Thoracic surgery 7 (13.4) 1 (4.0) 5 (7.9) 3 (4.3) 2 (6.3) 6 (5.9) Neurosurgery,

orthopedics, 22 (18.8) 1 (4.0) 9 (14.3) 14 (20.2) 5 (15.6) 18 (17.8) plastic surgery

Ophthalmology 11 (10.2) 1 (4.0) 4 (6.3) 8 (11.4) 4 (12.5) 8 (7.9)

Dermatology 6 (5.6) 5 (20.0) 2 (3.2) 9 (12.9) 3 (9.4) 8 (7.9)

Have no idea 23 (21.4) 4 (16.0) 15 (23.8) 12 (17.1) 6 (18.8) 21 (20.8)

Others 20 (18.6) 4 (16.0) 15 (23.8) 9 (12.9) 7 (21.9) 17 (16.8)

Total 108 (100.0) 25(100.0) 63 (100.0) 70(100.0) 32 (100.0) 101 (100.0)

Sex Year

Unit: person (%)

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Table 7. Factors affecting specialty selection

Aptitude** 3.81 2.05

Possibility to obtain high-level medical skill/ having a lot to be

studied** 3.43 2.49

Opportunity to serve the public after finishing the course** 3.29 2.42

High income in the future** 3.52 2.57

Reputation and authority as a specialty* 3.38 3.03

Opportunity to get a job after finishing the course / my position

will be secured** 3.55 2.78

Advice or recommendation of family members or others 3.06 2.97

The position of the specialty within the hospital** 2.89 3.52

Lots of free time 2.90 2.86

Low possibility of malpractice* 2.85 3.28

The atmosphere of the specialty (for instance, the personality of

the staff or the residents)** 2.79 3.46

Low risk in the performance of medical service** 2.83 3.34

Responsibility of supporting family* 2.75 3.09

Low difficulty in the resident course** 2.35 3.89

Opportunity of living in cities or rural areas

after finishing the course** 2.10 3.43

Religious reason** 2.02 4.08

The scholarship or loaning accepted in the medical course** 2.13 4.08

* : p 0.05, ** : p 0.01 measured by t-test.

Items Year 1998

Unit: point (5 is the full marks)

Year 2001

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* p 0.05 measured by Fisher s exact test.

Table 8. People who influenced to go to medical college or to choose the speciality according to the doctor within family members (including cousins).

People who influenced

None (him- or herself) 17 (42.5) 61 (65.6) 26 (81.3) 63 (85.1)

Parents 20 (50.0) 24 (25.8) 3 (9.4) 5 (6.8)

Brothers/sisters 3 (7.5) 3 (3.2) 2 (6.3)

Friends 1 (1.4)

Teacher 3 (3.2)

Others 2 (2.2) 1 (3.1) 5 (6.8)

Total 40(100.0) 93(100.0) 32(100.0) 74(100.0)

-

- - -

-

Yes No Yes No

People who influenced to go to medical college*

Doctor within family members (including cousins)

Unit: person (%) People who influenced

to select speciality

Table 9. Preferred speciality influenced by each factor in choosing speciality

Speciality %

Aptitude Dermatology 11.9

Ophthalmology 10.7

Orthopedics 8.3

High-level medical skill /having a lot to be studied Dermatology 12.0

Ophthalmology 10.9

Orthopedics 8.7

Opportunity to serve the community Ophthalmology 12.1

Dermatology 11.1

Psychiatry 10.1

High income Dermatology 12.0

Ophthalmology 10.8

Orthopedics, pediatrics, psychiatry 8.4 Opportunity to get a job /position will be secured Ophthalmology 12.5

Dermatology 8.8

Pediatrics, otolaryngology, neurosurgery 7.5

Items

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Classified the speciality as followed; 1: internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine. 2: surgery, chest surgery. 3: neurosurgery, orthopedics, plastic surgery. * p 0.05 measured by Fisher s exact test.

Table 10. Preference of speciality by characters of subjects

Psychiatry 10.0 16.3 9.5 16.7 11.4 20.0 9.1 25.0

Internal medicine

¹

20.0 24.5 19.0 19.4 25.0 - 27.3 15.0

Surgery I

²

- 12.2 9.5 13.9 6.8 - 14.5 -

Surgery II

³

20.0 24.5 42.9 19.4 36.4 40.0 18.2 55.0

Ophthalmology? 50.0 22.4 19.0 30.6 20.5 40.0 30.9 5.0

otorhinolaryngology

Total (person) 10 49 21 36 4 5 55 20

Type of characters Intro-

spective Normal Extro

spective Normal Pretty

well None Normal Pretty well Speciality

Unit: (%)

Understanding of the others Leadership*

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