Medical Specialist Preferences and Reasons among Fresh Nigerian Interns

BACKGROUND: Developing countries like face dire shortage of medical manpower due to brain drain. Young doctors intending to specialize usually prefer certain specialties and sub-specialties to the neglect of others. This creates avoidable gaps in health care delivery. AIM: The aim of the following study is to determine the choices of career and reasons for those choices among young medical doctors. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study of fresh interns using a pre-validated 13 item questionnaire was done at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku/Ozalla, Enugu Nigeria. RESULTS: A combination of the various surgical specialties was the most common choice made in 29/110 26.4% of the respondents. The top four specific choices were pediatrics 28/110 (25.5%), internal medicine 11/110 (10%), obstetrics and gynecology 10/110 (9.1%) and public health 8/110 (7.3%). The most common factor influencing choice of specialty was interest in 86/109 (78.9%) of the respondents. A higher proportion of males 24/69 (34.8%) compared with females 4/41 (10%) chose a specialty because of brighter prospect (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The most frequently chosen specialties by young interns were a combination of surgical specialties, internal medicine, pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology. Interest was the most common reason for choice of specialty although males are significantly influenced by brighter prospects.