title: Factors affecting choice of specialty among first-year medical students of four universities in different regions of Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the factors affecting medical students' choice of the specialty of family medicine.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in the period from 2004-2006 and comprised 770 first-year medical students from Ondokuz Mayis, Karadeniz Technical, Kocaeli, and Adnan Menderes Universities, Turkey. The questionnaire included questions on demographic data and 6 "yes/no" or open-ended questions on students' career aspirations and the specialty of family medicine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 93.1% (n=717, 54.7% male). Nearly all students (n=714, 99.6%) showed an intention to specialize after receiving the medical doctor degree. A total of 187 students (26.2%) showed an intention to work in primary care without specialization "for a temporary period" to "gain some experience." Family medicine was the least preferred specialty (n=7, 0.9%). The most important reasons for the choice of specialty were "better financial opportunities" and "prestige" (n=219, 30.5%), followed by "personal development" (n=149, 20.8%), "more benefits for the patient" (n=128, 17.9%), and "wish to work in an urban area" (n=32, 4.5%). The most preferred specialties were cardiology (n=179, 25.0%), pediatrics (n=121, 16.9%), ophthalmology (n=47, 6.6%), physical therapy and rehabilitation (n=34, 4.7%), and obstetrics and gynecology (n=32, 4.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prestige, money, and personal development are important factors in career decision-making among medical students in Turkey. This should be taken into consideration when conducting reforms at the primary level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University School of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa Fevzi
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Dikici
authors.forename: Fusun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yaris
authors.forename: Pinar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Topsever
authors.forename: Filiz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tuncay Muge
authors.forename: Fazil Serdar
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Gurel
authors.forename: Mahcube
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cubukcu
authors.forename: Suleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gorpelioglu
mesh_terms: D002755:Choice Behavior; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013038:Specialization; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey; D014495:Universities