Table 1 Characteristics of medical students stratified by medical education tracks
|  | ETH Zurich track (n = 94) | UZH track (n = 201) | Lucerne track (n = 32) | St. Gallen track (n = 27) | p* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Section 1) Demographical characteristics | |||||
 sex = female (%) | 55 (61.1) | 105 (63.3) | 23 (82.1) | 16 (69.6) | 0.201* |
 age (mean (SD)) | 19.9 (1.8) | 20.2 (2.2) | 21.5 (3.8) | 19.9 (1.0) | 0.01†|
 assignment concordant with application (%) | 76 (80.9) | 199 (99.5) | 14 (45.2) | 16 (59.3) | < 0.001* |
 ET (median [IQR]) | 91.5 [84.0, 96.0] | 89.0 [79.0, 96.0] | 85.0 [78.0, 90.0] | 89.5 [81.2, 91.8] | 0.031‡ |
 Domicile in medical education track canton (%) | 34 (36.2) | 132 (65.7) | 6 (18.8) | 12 (44.4) | < 0.001* |
Section 2) Overall career openness (%) | |||||
 completely open | 51 (54.8) | 96 (56.1) | 10 (32.3) | 11 (47.8) | < 0.001* |
 partially open | 17 (18.3) | 52 (30.4) | 18 (58.1) | 9 (39.1) | |
 committed | 25 (26.9) | 23 (13.5) | 3 (9.7) | 3 (13.0) | |
Section 3) Number of students rating specific career as at least rather attractive (%) | |||||
 general practice | 25 (26.6) | 51 (25.4) | 11 (34.4) | 8 (29.6) | 0.740* |
 outpatient care: gynecologist/pediatrics | 26 (27.7) | 44 (21.9) | 10 (31.2) | 7 (25.9) | 0.560* |
 outpatient care: subspecialty | 62 (66.0) | 95 (47.3) | 16 (50.0) | 12 (44.4) | 0.020* |
 inpatient care: general internist | 44 (46.8) | 78 (38.8) | 14 (43.8) | 16 (59.3) | 0.178* |
 inpatient care: subspecialty | 71 (75.5) | 120 (59.7) | 18 (56.2) | 17 (63.0) | 0.049* |
 research & education (academic career) | 35 (37.2) | 30 (14.9) | 1 (3.1) | 3 (11.1) | < 0.001* |
 research & development (industry) | 30 (31.9) | 19 (9.5) | 1 (3.1) | 3 (11.1) | < 0.001* |
Section 4) Number of students rating specific determinants as at least rather important (%) | |||||
 financial success | 31 (33.0) | 81 (40.3) | 17 (53.1) | 13 (48.1) | 0.174* |
 reputation | 40 (42.6) | 70 (34.8) | 11 (34.4) | 12 (44.4) | 0.508* |
 political environment | 24 (25.5) | 35 (17.4) | 3 (9.4) | 3 (11.1) | 0.111* |
 part time working | 45 (47.9) | 77 (38.3) | 15 (46.9) | 11 (40.7) | 0.426* |
 relationship to patients | 71 (75.5) | 136 (67.7) | 25 (78.1) | 20 (74.1) | 0.400* |
 having medical tasks | 72 (76.6) | 144 (71.6) | 25 (78.1) | 21 (77.8) | 0.707* |
 career opportunities | 76 (80.9) | 134 (66.7) | 18 (56.2) | 20 (74.1) | 0.024* |
 autonomy | 62 (66.0) | 102 (50.7) | 20 (62.5) | 13 (48.1) | 0.065* |