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Factors Influencing Medical School Graduates Toward a Career in Psychiatry: Analysis from the 2011–2013 Association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire

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Abstract

Objective

Various factors influence choice of medical specialty. Previous research grouped specialties into controllable lifestyle, primary care, and surgical. This study compared factors influencing individuals to choose psychiatry versus other specialties.

Methods

Data came from the 2011–2013 Association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire. The authors grouped responses, ranging from no influence to minor, moderate, and strong influence, into psychiatry and controllable lifestyle, primary care, and surgical specialties and analyzed the data using one-way analysis of variance.

Results

The analyses included 29,227 students, of which 1329 (4.5 %) elected psychiatry; 10,998 (37.6 %), controllable lifestyle specialties; 12,320 (42.2 %), primary care specialties; and 4580 (15.7 %), surgical specialties. Students choosing psychiatry reported less influence of competitiveness, student debt, and salary expectations than those choosing controllable lifestyle and surgical specialties (p < 0.0001) and more influence of work/life balance than those choosing primary care and surgical specialties (p < 0.0001). They reported less influence of family expectations than those choosing controllable lifestyle specialties (p < 0.0001). They reported more influence of fit with personality than controllable lifestyle, primary care, and surgical specialties (p < 0.004).

Conclusions

Students entering psychiatry do not fit the traditional categories of controllable lifestyle, primary care, and surgical profiles, but fall between controllable lifestyle and primary care specialties. Recruitment efforts may need to address this different pattern of influences.

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Disclosures

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest. This material is based upon data provided by the AAMC. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the AAMC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA

    Lindsey Wilbanks, John Spollen & Erick Messias

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  1. Lindsey Wilbanks
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  2. John Spollen
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  3. Erick Messias
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Correspondence to Lindsey Wilbanks.

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Wilbanks, L., Spollen, J. & Messias, E. Factors Influencing Medical School Graduates Toward a Career in Psychiatry: Analysis from the 2011–2013 Association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire. Acad Psychiatry 40, 255–260 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-015-0287-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-015-0287-z

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