Federation of Pediatric Organizations subspecialty forum

Money, lifestyle, or values? Why medical students choose subspecialty versus general pediatric careers

Although there are many published studies on factors associated with medical student career choice, few are specific to pediatric careers, and even fewer address the choice between general and subspecialty pediatric training. Fourth-year medical students surveyed at 2 schools reported their demographics, anticipated future income, the factors influencing their career choice, and their anticipated career. This study included the subset of 337 students planning pediatric careers. Results indicated that marital status, anticipated income, and career values are associated with pediatric career plans. Specifically, married students were more likely than unmarried students to pursue general pediatric careers (P < .01). Compared with students planning subspecialties, those intending to pursue general pediatric careers anticipated lower incomes ($110,906 vs $135,984; P < .001) and rated lifestyle, comprehensive patient care, and working with the poor as more important (P < .05) when choosing a career. Students planning subspecialty pediatric careers placed more value (P < .05) on prestige, income, and research opportunities.

Perspectives of recent trainees on career choices in neonatology

A major goal for neonatology training programs is to produce neonatologists who will pursue careers that combine clinical and research responsibilities. However, there appears to be a continuing decline in the number of trainees who choose academic, as opposed to private sector, jobs. The reason for this decline is perhaps best addressed by the people making career choices now, the recent trainees. Although many factors influence any individual's career choice, information from recent fellows indicates that several major factors play a strong role: finances; time demands; adequacy of research training; and academic institutions' attitudes toward recent trainees. Whereas the first two factors have been addressed by prior studies, the latter two factors have been less explored. The responses of a few recent trainees to an informal survey will be used to guide a discussion that focuses on the factors of research training and academic status. Ways to improve the success of training programs in producing academic neonatologists will be suggested, including the proposal of a research training curriculum, changes in the structure of post-fellowship academic status and increased encouragement of collaborative research efforts. A future survey of a broad group of recent trainees about their career choices and about proposals for training changes, such as those considered here, is needed to evaluate programs aimed at increasing the number of neonatologists engaged in research. Journal of Perinatology (2006) 26, S53-S56. doi:10.1038/sj.jp.7211527.