title: Lack of recognition of internal medicine as a specialty: a factor in medical student career choice?
abstract: Interest among medical students in a career in internal medicine has recently declined. We propose that lack of recognition of general internal medicine as a specialty may be one factor in students' decisions to enter other fields. A survey of 300 first-year and second-year medical students at the Medical College of Georgia showed that 84% of the respondents plan to specialize, yet only 49% recognized general internal medicine as a specialty. Significantly higher percentages of students correctly classified six other specialties. Only family practice was less likely than internal medicine to be recognized as a specialty. Earlier recognition of general internal medicine as a specialty among students who want to specialize might result in an increased number of students entering internal medicine residency programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Anders
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Fincher
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Nance
mesh_terms: D001364:Awareness; D002321:Career Choice; D005845:Georgia; D007388:Internal Medicine; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*