Positive Health Online

Abstract

SINGER, Research and Information Services, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Rockville MD USA analysed the selection of the medical specialty chosen to pursue in postgraduate training by graduating seniors from osteopathic medical schools in 1995.

Background

Methodology

Results

The author found that the speciality training chosen was considerably influenced by 10 common factors, ranging from the students' orientation toward people or techniques, to the prestige and income associated with the particular specialty. In students planning to pursue primary care specialities - Family Practice, General Internal Medicine, General Paediatrics - the People orientation factor exerted a strong influence upon students. For students planning to pursue a nonprimary care specialty, factors influencing their decision included the Prestige/income, Intellectual Content and Research Factors.

Conclusion

The findings of this analysis have implications for the medical school admissions process, which could be used to identify students who relate well to people and are more oriented to preventive medicine and health problems presented by individual patients. This could become a greater force in the movement toward generalism in medicine.

References

Singer AM. In pursuit of generalism: basic factors influencing the specialty decisions of osteopathic medical school seniors in 1995. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 96(11): 699-703. Nov 1996.