Table 2 Mean values for base specialty and differences in mean values for variables affecting the choice of specialties
Potential variables and factors affecting choice of specialty | Mean value for | Differences in the mean values of variables from basic medical science mean values | |
|---|---|---|---|
Basic medical science | Surgery and basic medical science (p value) | Internal medicine and basic medical science (p value) | |
Male (= 1) | 0.417 | 0.157 (0.030) | -0.005 (0.939) |
Married (= 1) | 0.330 | -0.066 (0.302) | -0.127 (0.025) |
Graduated more than a year ago (= 1) | 0.485 | -0.198 (0.004) | -0.192 (0.002) |
Personal preference for the specialty | 3.650 | 0.752 (0.000) | 0.573 (0.000) |
Self-perceived personal competence in the specialty | 3.602 | 0.685 (0.000) | 0.496 (0.000) |
Earning potential of the specialty | 3.369 | 0.401 (0.011) | 0.016 (0.910) |
Prestige of a provider in the specialty | 3.165 | 0.777 (0.000) | 0.171 (0.253) |
Risk of violence in the specialty | 4.515 | -1.641 (0.000) | -1.025 (0.000) |
Future career prospect in the specialty | 3.864 | 0.193 (0.190) | 0.059 (0.652) |
Opportunity for research in the specialty | 3.534 | 0.144 (0.379) | 0.081 (0.575) |
Opportunity for serving the community | 2.534 | 0.914 (0.000) | 0.865 (0.000) |
Malpractice and legal issues | 4.388 | -1.802 (0.000) | -0.780 (0.000) |
Length of training in the specialty | 2.350 | -0.327 (0.069) | -0.035 (0.827) |
Training program for the specialty relatively easy | 3.262 | -0.998 (0.000) | -0.339 (0.058) |
Workload in the specialty | 4.252 | -1.586 (0.000) | -0.847 (0.000) |
Family expectation | 2.320 | -0.185 (0.290) | 0.134 (0.388) |