title: Would you be a geriatrician? Student career preferences and attitudes to a career in geriatric medicine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  career intentions of medical students may impact on education and workforce planning. We sought to determine (i) career choices of senior medical students; (ii) interest in geriatric medicine; (iii) factors influencing such choices; and (iv) the impact of a 6-week Medicine in the Community module.
  
  
  METHODS
  cross-sectional survey of all senior UCD medical students, before and after completion of a 'Medicine in the Community' module, 2009-11.
  
  
  RESULTS
  eighty-two per cent (274/336) completed the survey at module's end. Two-thirds (174) had chosen a future speciality, most frequently general practice (32.1%) and internal medicine (17%). Half (49.8%) believed career selection is made during medical school. Thirty-one per cent would consider a career in geriatric medicine; reasons cited were interesting field (34.5%), clinical variety (25%) and perception as emotionally rewarding (20.2%). Commonest deterrents were perceived slowness-of-pace and not wanting to work with older patients. Female students (adjusted OR: 1.89, P = 0.05) and those prioritising travel opportunities (adjusted OR: 2.77, P = 0.01) were more likely to consider geriatric medicine. Half (51.5%) reported that the community medicine module increased their interest in geriatric medicine; 91.3% that it would positively influence how they treated older patients. Students reporting a positive influence of the module were more likely to consider a career in geriatric medicine (OR: 1.62, P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  two-thirds of students had already chosen a future speciality. One-third would consider geriatric medicine. This may have important implications for workforce planning and development of geriatric medicine. Undergraduate exposure to the discipline may increase interest in geriatric medicine as a career, and positively influence management of older patients.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. dmmnic@student.ucc.ie
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ní Chróinín
authors.forename: Edel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cronin
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: Diarmuid
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Shea
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bury
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kyne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010465:Perception; D012201:Reward; D012737:Sex Factors; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: career choice; education; geriatrics; older people; teaching