Perceptions of house officers working in hospitals of Lahore about joining the field of anaesthesiology as a career.
To determine the perceptions of house officers working in hospitals about joining anaesthesiology as a career.



This quantitative, descriptive questionnaire-based study was carried out from September 2014 to February 2015 in 26 teaching hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan, and comprised house officers. Those with at least three months of working experience in anaesthesiology were included. They were approached in their respective departments and a validated self-reporting questionnaire was delivered to them and received back by hand. SPSS 16 was used for data analysis.



Of the 73 house officers approached, 53(72.6%) responded; 35(66%) men and 18(33%) women. Overall, 25(47.16%) respondents refused to join anaesthesiology as a career and 27(50.94%) included it in their first three career choices. Moreover, 25(47.16%) cited minimal interaction with patient as a reason for not taking anaesthesia as a career choice; 29(56.6%) of the respondents believed an anaesthetist had no or little role in surgery. Change in attitude about anaesthesiology as a specialty after having an anaesthesia rotation was mentioned by 26(49.05%) respondents.



House officers had reservations about joining anaesthesiology as a career. The findings are suggestive of a positive effect of anaesthesiology house job on house officers attitude about the specialty.
Assistant Professor of Anesthesia, Sahara Medical College Narowal, Pakistan.
Sohail
S
Anjum
Assistant Professor of Medical Education, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar.
Usman
U
Mahboob
D000776:Anesthesiology; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Anaesthesiology, Career, House officers, Perceptions, Hospital.