Medical School Impact On Student Career Choice

Abstract

Covariance and regression techniques are used to determine whether student career preferences and choices are influenced by medical school characteristics. The results indicate that academic factors (full-time teaching and research components) have more influence on career preference and choice than clinical factors (part-time fa culty and residency programs) but also that the internship year and first few years of practice are important determinants of ultimate career choice. This raises several important questions about what the objec tives of a medical school should be—to direct graduates into careers where the highest need exists, to develop areas of strength so as to improve the quality of training, or to provide as much exposure as possible to a number of different careers.