Factors influencing medical students' intentions to choose psychiatry as a career.
Information was collected and analyzed to test a theoretical model of the interaction of previously reported correlates of intention to specialize in psychiatry. Ninety-nine first-year medical students completed a four-part questionnaire designed to demonstrate reasons for such an intention. The three main predictors of intention to specialize in this field were shown to be, in order: perception of others' views of a psychiatric career, students' attitude to psychiatry and their willingness to comply with the views of others. Although sociodemographic and personality characteristics also forecast intention to specialize in psychiatry, they did so only by operating through the three main predictors. The implications of these findings in relation to previous findings are discussed.
University of Western Ontario, London.
P C
PC
Chandarana
M
M
Loncke
P
P
Conlon
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010556:Personality Tests; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*