title: Are new medical students' specialty preferences gendered? Related motivational factors at a Dutch medical school.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Female students currently outnumber male students in most medical schools. Some medical specialties are highly gender segregated. Therefore, it is interesting to know whether medical students have early specialization preferences based on their gender. Consequently, we like to know importance stipulated to motivational factors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our study investigates new medical students' early specialization preferences and motivational factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  New students at a Dutch medical school (n = 657) filled in a questionnaire about specialty preferences (response rate = 94%; 69.5% female, 30.5% male). The students chose out of internal medicine, psychiatry, neurology, pediatrics, surgery, gynecology and family medicine, "other" or "I don't know." Finally, they valued ten motivational factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty percent of the medical students reported no specialty preference yet. Taken together, female medical students preferred pediatrics and wished to combine work and care, whereas male students opted for surgery and valued career opportunities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gender-driven professional preferences in new medical students should be noticed in order to use competencies. Changes in specialty preferences and motivational factors in pre- and post graduates should further assess the role of medical education.
authors: Department of Primary and Community Care, Women’s Studies Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. a.lagro-janssen@elg.umcn.nl
authors: Margret
authors: M
authors: van Tongeren-Alers
authors: Maartje
authors: M
authors: van Esch
authors: Petra
authors: P
authors: Verdonk
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Johansson
authors: Katarina
authors: K
authors: Hamberg
authors: Toine
authors: T
authors: Lagro-Janssen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009426:Netherlands; D012577:Schools, Medical; D012737:Sex Factors; D013038:Specialization; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult