Person-oriented versus technique-oriented specialties: early preferences and eventual choice.
BACKGROUND
Students' selection of a specialty is an important decision in their career as a physician. While distinguishing primary care physicians from non-primary care specialists has served a purpose for how medicine is practiced and managed, considering alternative ways of grouping specialties is appropriate when exploring specialty decisions.


OBJECTIVE
This study explored how early specialty preferences correspond to eventual specialty choice using the person-oriented versus technique-oriented taxonomy.


METHODS
Participants were 349 students who completed a career plan survey during the first semester of medical school and later graduated.


RESULTS
Chi-square analysis showed a statistically significant difference between students' early preference for a person-oriented or technique-oriented specialty and the specialty they chose for their residency.


CONCLUSIONS
Students with an early preference for person-oriented specialties were more likely to choose a person-oriented specialty, whereas students with an early preference for technique-oriented specialties were less likely to enter a technique-oriented specialty.
Manuel
R Stephen
RS
Office of Admissions and Student Affairs, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0552, USA. manuelrs@uc.edu
Borges
Nicole J
NJ
Jones
Bonnie J
BJ
D002321:Career Choice; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D013677:Medical Laboratory Science; D012737:Sex Factors; D013038:Specialization; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*