Saudi medical students' views on obstetrics and gynecology as a future career specialty

Factors impacting on the decision of graduate entry medical school students to pursue a career in obstetrics and gynecology in Ireland

BACKGROUND

Challenges in recruiting appropriately trained obstetricians and gynaecologists have been identified across the world. Given well documented staff shortages within obstetrics and gynaecology in Ireland, it is increasingly important to understand the factors which influence medical students to choose or reject a career in the speciality. The aim of this study was to ascertain the perceptions of final year graduate entry medical students of obstetrics and gynaecology, including the factors which may influence a student's decision to pursue in a career in the speciality.

METHODS

Paper-based surveys of graduate entry medical students (n = 146) were conducted at the beginning and end of a six week rotation in obstetrics and gynaecology in Ireland. Responses to the surveys pre- and post-rotation were matched and changes in career choices, merits and demerits over time were analysed. All analysis was conducted using SPSS for Windows version 25.

RESULTS

The responses of 72 students to both questionnaires could be matched (response rate of 49.3%). No male students expressed an interest in obstetrics, gynaecology or both as a first choice of career in the pre rotation survey. Obstetrics as a first choice of career increased from 6.9% pre rotation to 19.4% post rotation (p = 0.04) and this increase was seen in male and female students. Gynaecology as a first choice increased slightly from 1.4 to 4.2% (p = 0.50) and the dual speciality increased from 6.9 to 13.9% (p = 0.23). Students identified many merits of obstetrics pre-rotation with more than 60% identifying it as exciting, interesting fulfilling and challenging. However, incompatibility with family life was cited as a demerit by 72% of respondents and 68.1% identified fear of litigation as a demerit. Participants were less positive overall about the merits of a career in gynaecology with less than 40% viewing it as exciting, fulfilling, and varied.

CONCLUSIONS

While respondents were positive about the merits of a career in obstetrics and gynecology, concerns remain about work-life balance, career opportunities, and the high-risk nature of the specialty. These concerns should be addressed by the profession and policy makers if they wish to attract sufficient numbers to address anticipated need in the coming years. Gender differences in speciality choice were also evident. If males are to be recruited into obstetrics and gynaecology, consideration should be given to the positive impact of internship.

Association of online activities with obstetrics and gynecology specialty choice: a nationwide online survey

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association between online activities and the number of new obstetrics and gynecology senior residents.

METHODS

A nationwide web-based, self-administered anonymous survey was conducted to investigate recruitment and clerkship activities during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. An online questionnaire was sent to 576 obstetrics and gynecology training institutions in Japan between December 21, 2020, and January 31, 2021. Overall, 334 institutions that gave valid responses were included (response rate: 58.0%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis examined the association between online activities, including recruitment and clerkship activities, and the number of new obstetrics and gynecology senior residents in 2021. The stratified analysis by implementing face-to-face activities was conducted to clarify the association.

RESULTS

The number of new senior residents increased in 187 facilities (56.0%) and decreased in 147 facilities (44.0%). The facilities that implemented face-to-face and online activities were 185 (55.4%) and 120 (35.9%), respectively. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, an increased number of new obstetrics and gynecology senior residents was significantly associated with face-to-face activities (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.58, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11-5.97, p<.001) but not with online activities. In the stratified analysis, online activities were significantly associated with an increased number of new obstetrics and gynecology senior residents among the facilities without face-to-face activities (AOR=3.81, 95% CI: 1.40-10.32, p=.009) but not among those with face-to-face activities (AOR=0.87, 95% CI: 0.42-1.78).

CONCLUSIONS

Online activities were associated with an increased number of new obstetrics and gynecology senior residents among the facilities that did not conduct face-to-face activities.

Choice of medicine program: A single-institution study

Introduction

The decision to apply for medical school is the first and one of the most important career choices that a physician will ever make and the motives for choosing a career in medicine seem to remain relatively stable during medical school. Our study aimed to investigate what motivated the students, their satisfaction with the PBL curriculum and their plans following graduation.

Methods

A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out from Jan to March 2021 at Batterjee medical college, Jeddah. The data was collected on a questionnaire from undergraduate students of first year till the internship year.

Results

Among the 112 students who completed the questionnaire, 85 (75.9%) chose studying medicine to be their own choice, with service to humanity 56 (50%) being the main reason, followed by monetary 20 (18.8%) reasons. Generally 78 (69.6%) of the responders preferred the PBL curriculum over the traditional one. Most of the students 42 (37.5%) planned to undergo the residency program in Saudi Arabia, with general surgery being the specialty preferred by 33 (29.5%) students.

Conclusion

The findings in our study suggest that altruism is the most common influencing factor that led students joining a medical college

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The decision to apply for medical school is the first and one of the most important career choices that a physician will ever make and the motives for choosing a career in medicine seem to remain relatively stable during medical school.

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This study outlines the factors underlying a student's decision to join a medical school.

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The participants' choice of specialty in case of residency shows significant contrast between the preclinical and clinical years, with surgery and internal medicine being favored by the preclinical students (36.3% and 20.0%, respectively) in contrast to the clinical students (12.5% and 12.5%) respectively.

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The findings in our study suggest that altruism is the most common influencing factor that led students to join a medical college.

A survey of specialty choice among obstetrics and gynecology residents in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan

AIM

The percentage of medicine graduates opting for residency in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) has been decreasing in developed countries, including in Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. This multicountry study surveyed the OB/GYN residents affiliated with the Taiwan Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology (TAOG), the Japanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG), and the Korean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (KSOG) to evaluate the factors affecting the choice of pursing OB/GYN.

METHODS

A 17-item questionnaire surveying the factors influencing the choice of pursuing a major medical specialty was translated into Japanese, Korean, and Chinese and administered to postgraduate OB/GYN residents between July 1, 2020, and August 31, 2020. Data on the participants' sex, age, and level of residency were collected. Responses were compared between countries and sexes.

RESULTS

Residents of all three countries chose OB/GYN based on personal interest, and a sense of accomplishment in saving people's life. Other positive factors include improved quality of life; higher salaries; and more opportunity for new techniques, research, and promotion. The negative factors included medical litigations, longer work hours, and unsafe working environments. Korean residents had lower ratings in several items, including "support from family," "safety of working environment," and "effectiveness of the alternative dispute resolution system," which, unlike Japan and Taiwan, is not a no-fault compensation system for childbirth accidents.

CONCLUSIONS

The study findings can guide strategy making, such as decreasing workload and yet maintain training quality, to increase the number of medical students pursuing OB/GYN residency.

How Relevant is Obstetrician and Gynecologist Gender to Women in Saudi Arabia?

Background

The patient–doctor relationship is one of the most important factors in determining the outcome of healthcare. The first step in establishing this relationship is choosing a physician. This study sought to identify patient preferences concerning the gender of their obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) physician and the effect of religion and society on these choices.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted at the OB-GYN outpatient clinics at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah between February 2017 and June 2017. A total of 227 female patients were recruited. Eligible were women ages 18 years or older who had attended the clinic at least three times. A 30-item questionnaire was administered.

Results

Significantly, more female doctors were preferred for pelvic examination in lower income group (p=0.003), while male doctors were preferred for surgery (p=0.010) in higher income group. Significantly more male doctors were preferred for pelvic examination and gynecological surgery in >35-year age group (p=0.015 and p=0.017, respectively). With regard to predictors, embarrassment was the most significant factor reported for not choosing a male obstetrician/gynecologist (OB-GYN) in the younger age group. Nearly three-quarters (71.2%) of respondents with age ≤35 reported embarrassment as a factor for not choosing a male OB-GYN; 79.7% of this subgroup indicated that female doctors were more knowledgeable about women’s health issues.

Conclusion

Participants expressed a strong preference for female providers overall, although some women preferred male providers during certain circumstances (gynecologic surgery). Despite these gender preferences, more important to women in their choice of OB-GYN provider was the doctor’s experience, qualifications, and reputation. Such trends are consistent with those culturally similar countries and in line with trends worldwide. These findings have the potential to significantly impact the personal health for women in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East where religious and cultural traditions are so important in decision-making.

A survey of career-decision factors for obstetrics and gynecology residents in Taiwan

OBJECTIVE

The recruitment of obstetrics and gynecology residents has been challenging in Taiwan since 2000. There are a lots factors influencing applying, including career interest and prospects, lifestyle, salary, litigation, stress level, time demands of specialty work and gender consideration. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors influencing the career choice of current OB/GYN residents and identify the important factors influencing recruitment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional questionnaire of career-decision factors was sent to all 280 residents during December, 2019. Total 16 factors were rated on a 5-point Likert and were ranking by their average score on the scale. Gender of residents was analyzed for their association with the scores by a two-sample test and two-tailed t test.

RESULTS

91 (32.5%) residents responded and 61 were female and 30 were male. The top influencing factor was being interested in clinical expertise with an average score of 4.32. The second factor was having a great sense of accomplishment in saving people with an average score of 3.82, followed by it being easier to become a medical practitioner at 3.77. The lowest scoring factor was fewer hours of work, with an average score of 1.77 and a safer working environment with a score of 2.33 was the second lowest factor. Female residents agreed that it was easier to get specialist certification with a score of 3.0. This score was significantly higher than male doctors at 2.63 with p value of 0.017.

CONCLUSION

Career interest and prospects were key influencing factors for applying OB/GYN residents. Minimizing the influence of detracting factors like heavy workload and medical litigation was also effective. Enrolling new residents is key to maintaining adequate staffing in specialties in healthcare. Establishing a safer work environment and determining the optimal workload will be the next reforms in the future.