The Influence of Gender on Choosing Ophthalmology as a Career Among Medical Students and Interns in Madinah, Saudi Arabia

Introduction The field of ophthalmology has become increasingly popular among medical students and interns in recent years. However, there may be gender-based differences in the factors influencing the choice of ophthalmology as a career path. This study aimed to investigate the influence of gender on the decision to pursue ophthalmology as a career among medical students and interns in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study involved medical students and interns in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants at two medical colleges from March to May 2023. The questionnaire examined potential factors that would influence the students to choose or eliminate ophthalmology as a future career and whether there is a gender difference. Result A total of 449 medical students were included. Two hundred eighteen were males, and 231 were females. The mean age was 22; around (30%) of the participants were in the fourth year of medical school, and most respondents (63%) had no prior exposure to ophthalmology. Fewer working hours was the driving factor among the males to choose ophthalmology as a speciality (58%); in contrast to females, interest in eye anatomy and physiology was the main factor (60%). Being already passionate about other specialties was the main factor that deterred the students from choosing ophthalmology as a career among both males and females, with a p-value of 0.033. Conclusion Our study has shown that gender plays no significant role in influencing medical students' choice to pursue ophthalmology as a future career. Teaching students in early medical years about ophthalmology as an option may lead to significant contributions to understanding and determining their future path.