title: Career goals of trainee physicians in internal medicine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To survey Internal Medicine trainees' future career choices and factors influencing their decision-making.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from November 2006 to January 2007.
  
  
  METHODS
  A standard questionnaire was administered to the residents and Interns working in the Department of Internal Medicine of The Aga Khan University Hospital. The questionnaire covered demographic details, specialty choice, work-time distribution and factors influencing career choice. Descriptive statistics were applied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 49 doctors participated with 57% females; and 43% males, having 33% interns and 67% residents. A minority (22%) opted for internal medicine, while 78% selected sub-specialties with cardiology (20%) being the most sought- after sub-specialty. Majority (69%) wanted to spend more time in clinical activities compared to administration (18%) or research (13%). Majority (92%) wanted to work in an academic setting. Availability of a structured training program (61%), ability to practice broad area of medicine (41%) and prestige of the specialty (41%) highly influenced their career choices. Forty one (82%) wanted to proceed abroad for further training and 80% wanted to eventually practice in Pakistan.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the interviewed under-training physicians wanted to pursue sub-specialty. Clinical work was more attractive compared to research. A structured training program was detrimental in affecting their choices. Majority wanted further training abroad but eventual settlement in Pakistan. The study results can help us create the basis for reforming the current training programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. junaid.patel@aku.edu
authors.forename: Muhammad Junaid
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Mehmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riaz
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tariq
authors.forename: Sajjad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jamil
authors.forename: Tayyaba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.forename: M Shoaib
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Abdul Jawwad
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Samdani
authors.forename: Syed Imran
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Ayaz
authors.forename: Ayesha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sorathia
authors.forename: Jaweed
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Akhtar