Biomaterial Database

Factors influencing career choice in ophthalmology. 2006

Jason Noble

Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto Western Hospital, Ontario, Canada. jason.noble@utoronto.ca

BACKGROUND To investigate the factors influencing choice of ophthalmology as a career in medicine. METHODS Data were extracted from the 2004 National Physician Survey, a questionnaire distributed to all physicians across Canada. Data were categorized by medical discipline, and chi2 comparative analyses were done. RESULTS Intellectual stimulation emerged as the most frequently cited factor influencing career choice for ophthalmologists and nonophthalmologists alike (81% and 79%, respectively). Compared with other physicians, ophthalmologists were significantly more likely to cite flexibility (58% vs. 42%, respectively), mentorship (42% vs. 31%, respectively), and earning potential (38% vs. 26%, respectively) as important factors (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Intellectual stimulation is the principal reason physicians pursue a career in ophthalmology. Ophthalmologists cite flexibility, mentorship, and earning potential as important factors more frequently than do physicians of other disciplines.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007396	Internship and Residency	Programs of EDUCATION, MEDICAL, GRADUATE training to meet the requirements established by accrediting authorities.	House Staff,Internship, Dental,Residency, Dental,Residency, Medical,Dental Internship,Dental Internships,Dental Residencies,Dental Residency,Internship,Internship, Medical,Internships, Dental,Medical Residencies,Medical Residency,Residencies, Dental,Residencies, Medical,Residency,Residency and Internship,Internships, Medical,Medical Internship,Medical Internships,Residencies,Staff, House
D007588	Job Satisfaction	Personal satisfaction relative to the work situation.	Work Satisfaction,Job Satisfactions,Satisfaction, Job,Satisfaction, Work,Satisfactions, Job,Satisfactions, Work,Work Satisfactions
D008019	Life Style	Typical way of life or manner of living characteristic of an individual or group. (From APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 8th ed)	Lifestyle Factors,Life Style Induced Illness,Lifestyle,Factor, Lifestyle,Life Styles,Lifestyle Factor,Lifestyles
D008297	Male		Males
D009042	Motivation	Those factors which cause an organism to behave or act in either a goal-seeking or satisfying manner. They may be influenced by physiological drives or by external stimuli.	Incentives,Disincentives,Expectations,Disincentive,Expectation,Incentive,Motivations
D009885	Ophthalmology	A surgical specialty concerned with the structure and function of the eye and the medical and surgical treatment of its defects and diseases.	Ocular Surgery,Ocular Surgeries,Surgery, Ocular
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D002321	Career Choice	Selection of a type of occupation or profession.	Career Choices,Choice, Career,Choices, Career
D003625	Data Collection	Systematic gathering of data for a particular purpose from various sources, including questionnaires, interviews, observation, existing records, and electronic devices. The process is usually preliminary to statistical analysis of the data.	Data Collection Methods,Dual Data Collection,Collection Method, Data,Collection Methods, Data,Collection, Data,Collection, Dual Data,Data Collection Method,Method, Data Collection,Methods, Data Collection
D004503	Education, Medical, Graduate	Educational programs for medical graduates entering a specialty. They include formal specialty training as well as academic work in the clinical and basic medical sciences, and may lead to board certification or an advanced medical degree.	Medical Education, Graduate,Education, Graduate Medical,Graduate Medical Education

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