Postgraduate Specialty Preferences and Factors Influencing Career Choice among Medical Interns: A Cross-Sectional Study from a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Uttar Pradesh, India
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Abstract
Background: Selection of a postgraduate (PG) specialty is one of the most important career decisions made by medical graduates. Specialty preferences influence not only individual career trajectories but also the future availability and distribution of specialists within the healthcare system. Understanding the factors influencing these preferences is essential for workforce planning and medical education reforms.
Objectives: To assess the postgraduate specialty preferences among medical interns and to identify the factors influencing their choice of specialty.
Materials and Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among medical interns of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Uttar Pradesh. A pre-designed, pre-tested, self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding socio-demographic characteristics, preferred postgraduate specialty, first and second specialty preferences, and factors influencing specialty selection. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel and analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25. Descriptive statistics were expressed as frequencies and percentages.
Results: Out of 200 eligible medical interns, 112 participated in the study (response rate: 56.0%). Male interns constituted 59.8% of the study population. Medicine and Allied specialties were the most preferred area of specialization (52.7%), followed by Surgery and Allied specialties (36.6%). Only 10 (8.9%) interns preferred para-clinical specialties and 2 (1.8%) preferred pre-clinical specialties. Passion for the subject (87.5%) was the most frequently reported factor influencing specialty choice, followed by anticipated high income (71.4%), reputation of the specialty (70.5%), and preference for a particular institution (64.3%).
Conclusion: Medical interns demonstrated a strong inclination towards clinical specialties, particularly Medicine and Allied disciplines, while interest in pre-clinical and para-clinical specialties remained low. Passion for the subject was the predominant determinant of specialty choice. Career counselling, mentorship, and initiatives aimed at improving the attractiveness of non-clinical specialties may help achieve a more balanced specialist workforce.
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