title: Factors that impact medical student and house-staff career interest in brain related specialties.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a national shortage of physicians in brain related specialties (neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry), with fewer students training in these specialties. This study explored socio-economic and experiential factors that determined medical trainees' interest in brain related specialties.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical students and house-staff at a state university medical school completed a 46-item questionnaire sent as an anonymous email survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survey response rate was 22% (n=258). Eighty-eight (34.1%) trainees were interested in brain related specialties. Prior neuroscience experience (29.6%) and effective medical school neuroscience courses (23.9%) were identified as important by those interested in brain related specialties, while "neurophobia" was reported by 30% of those not interested. Multivariate regression model showed that effective college neuroscience course increased the likelihood for interest in brain related specialties (OR=2.28, 95% CI 1.22, 4.28). Factors which decreased the likelihood included parent's possessing professional degree (OR=0.37, 95% CI 0.17, 0.80), personal annual income>$50,000 (OR=0.40, 0.18, 0.87) and current debt level≥$100,000 (OR=0.33, 0.17, 0.64). The proportion of trainees interested in brain related specialties decreased from 51.7% (1st year medical students) to 27% (4th year students) and 25.3% among house-staff (χ(2) test of trend p=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Socioeconomic (current personal debt and annual income) and experiential factors (college neuroscience course) influence a medical trainee's interest in brain related specialties. Career guidance and improved, better and early exposure to neurosciences may help mitigate trend for decreased interest in brain related specialties.
authors.affiliation: College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.
authors.forename: Abdulbaset H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Kamour
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States; Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.
authors.forename: Dong Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Mannino
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.
authors.forename: Amy B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Hessler
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States. Electronic address: sachin.kedar@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: Sachin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kedar
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D009462:Neurology; D010820:Physicians; D011570:Psychiatry; D013038:Specialization; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Brain related specialties; Career; Education; Neurophobia