Background: The career choice of specialization in the medical profession is very complex. This study aimed to observe the most popular choice of medical field specialization, factors influencing the student’s choices, and future job features that would impact the choice of medical field specialization.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through a self-administered online survey, distributed by email, through the Office of Clinical Affairs, to the final year (sixth year) medical students and interns in seven different medical schools in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia.
Results: A total of 294 participants completed the survey, of which 56.5% were sixth-year medical students. The gender distribution of the sample was almost 2:1 female to male ratio. The most common choice of field specialization was surgical subspecialty followed by emergency medicine at 16.0%, and 15.6%, respectively. The items that had the most impact on the medical students’ choice of medical field specialty were: love of the specialty (57.0%), followed by attending a rotation in the chosen field (43.8%). Future job features that had a major impact in choosing the field of specialization were: wanting to work in a large city hospital (38.6%), followed by the ability to have time to pursue other non-medical interests (31.7%).
Conclusions: The most popular specialty chosen was a surgical subspecialty, by both sexes, followed by emergency medicine. The most influencing personal factor was the love of the field, and the most influencing future job feature was to work in a large city hospital.
Key words: Specialty preference, medical students, undergraduates, career choice, specialties.
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