Development and application of the Commitment to Profession of Medicine Scale using classical test theory and item response theory

AIM: To determine the level of professional commitment of medical students by developing and applying a new scale. METHODS: The study enrolled 999 students of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, School of Medicine. Factor analysis, reliability analysis, and item analysis were performed based on the classical test theory and item response theory. The data obtained through scale application were analyzed using factorial ANOVA. RESULTS: The Commitment to Profession of Medicine Scale was identified as a unidimensional scale consisting of nine items. The scale in its present form explained 51% of the variance in commitment to profession of medicine. The reliability was 0.88. The scale application revealed that female students had higher commitment than male students. The highest level of commitment was observed in third- and first-year students, students with the lowest level of family income, and students whose ideal profession was medicine. CONCLUSION: There are many factors affecting professional commitment levels of university students. Therefore, it is of great importance to examine students' commitment at an early stage. In addition, the experiences of students during university years are important since they directly affect the commitment level. Considering these factors, teachers should support their students and strive to increase their commitment levels.