Factors related to choosing psychiatry as a future medical career among medical students at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Indonesia.
OBJECTIVE. To identify factors related to choosing psychiatry as a future medical career and attitude towards psychiatry among medical students of the International Class Programme of the Faculty of Medicine, The University of Indonesia. METHODS. This was a cross-sectional design which included 225 data sets from first to sixth year medical students (n = 188) as well as the freshly graduated medical doctors (n = 37). The Attitude Towards Psychiatry-30 questionnaire (ATP-30) was adopted. Data including demographics, past experience in psychiatry, inclination to work in psychiatry, and 3 specialty choices for future medical career were collected. Independent t test and logistic regression were used in data analysis. RESULTS. The mean ATP-30 score from the fresh graduates was slightly higher compared with the medical students. Inclination to work in the field of psychiatry, past experience in psychiatry, and the ATP-30 score were significantly correlated and contributed 57% to the prediction of choosing psychiatry as a future medical career (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION. The greater inclination to work in the field of psychiatry, as well as a better attitude towards psychiatry can predict the choice of psychiatry as a future medical career. Therefore, it is very important to increase the quality of psychiatry teaching and to motivate medical students who show a high level of interest in psychiatry.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry, University of Indonesia, Jl. Salemba Raya 4, Jakarta, Indonesia. twiga00@yahoo.com
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D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D009042:Motivation; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D013038:Specialization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires