Table 3 Results of eight logistic regression models predicting whether a specialty is top three choice for Year 1 students (only factors with p < 0.01 shown)

Anaesthesia

Glasgow [ref. Aberdeen]

−1.105

0.331 [0.185-0.592]

p < 0.001

Emergency medicine

Dundee [ref. Aberdeen]

0.586

1.797 [1.192-2.710]

p = 0.005

Glasgow [ref. Aberdeen]

0.684

1.983 [1.399-2.810]

p ≤ 0.001

Other ethnicity [ref. White]

-.642

0.526 [0.355-0.780]

p = 0.001

General practice

Dundee [ref. Aberdeen]

−0.647

0.524 [0.361-0.759]

p = 0.001

Glasgow [ref. Aberdeen]

−0.436

0.647 [0.476-0.879]

p = 0.005

Male gender [ref. Female]

−0.555

0.574 [0.452-0.729]

p ≤ 0.001

Other ethnicity [ref. White]

−0.959

0.383 [0.274-0.536]

p ≤ 0.001

Intellect not extremely important [ref. Extremely important]

0.786

2.196 [1.601-3.011]

p ≤ 0.001

Work-life balance not extremely important [ref. Extremely important]

−0.627

0.534 [0.401-0.711]

p ≤ 0.001

Medical specialties

Work-life balance not extremely important [ref. Extremely important]

−0.759

0.468 [0.347-0.631]

p ≤ 0.001

Surgical specialties

Dundee [ref. Aberdeen]

0.494

1.640 [1.140-2.359]

p = 0.008

Male gender [ref. Female]

0.637

1.891 [1.493-2.394]

p ≤ 0.001

Obstetrics & gynaecology

Male gender [ref. Female]

−1.374

0.253 [0.154-0.4160

p ≤ 0.001

Paediatrics

Male gender [ref. Female]

−0.871

0.419 [0.323-0.542]

p ≤ 0.001

Diagnostics

Edinburgh [ref. Aberdeen]

−0.895

0.409 [0.204-0.817]

p = 0.010