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Table 4 Comparison of MS Groups at same time points on responses to matrix questions about career choices

From: The temporal decline of idealism in two cohorts of medical students at one institution

Items

MS1 T1

M2 T1

p

Ms1 T2

MS2 T2

p

MS3 T3

MS4 T3

p

How important are the following factors in considering your career in medicine?

Opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives

4.89

4.83

NS

4.88

4.83

NS

4.71

4.66

NS

Intellectual climate

4.41

4.52

NS

4.41

4.47

NS

4.23

4.13

NS

Desire to do primary care

3.04

2.74

.062

3.03

2.75

.074

3.04

2.88

NS

Availability of jobs

3.55

3.86

.032*

3.54

3.84

.44*

4.26

3.90

.025*

Job security

3.80

4.03

.099

3.80

4.00

NS

4.40

4.30

NS

Opportunity to help patients who are socially disadvantaged

4.71

3.89

.034*

4.15

3.90

.051*

3.84

3.51

.060

Desire to serve my community

4.42

4.32

NS

4.39

4.33

NS

4.23

3.66

<.001*

High income potential

2.82

3.36

<.001**

2.82

3.32

<.001**

3.45

3.25

NS

Job satisfaction

4.76

4.75

NS

4.77

4.77

NS

4.84

4.78

NS

Status of physicians

2.69

2.97

.088

2.65

2.86

NS

2.84

2.80

NS

How important are the following factors in considering your choice for a specialty?

Income expectations for the specialty

2.81

3.27

.002**

2.76

3.23

.001**

3.43

3.15

NS

Amount of education debt I have

2.81

3.04

NS

2.83

2.99

NS

3.30

3.09

NS

Ability to balance my work life with my family responsibilities

4.37

4.62

.013*

4.38

4.60

.026*

4.53

4.44

NS

Content of the specialty

4.69

4.70

NS

4.71

4.69

NS

4.59

4.70

NS

Competitiveness of the specialty

3.13

3.07

NS

3.11

3.06

NS

2.91

2.74

NS

Options for fellowship training associated with the specialty

3.25

3.47

NS

3.24

3.40

NS

3.51

3.58

NS

Length of residency training associated with the specialty

3.18

3.44

.080

3.17

3.48

.040*

3.48

2.98

.008**

The lifestyle of the specialty I am considering

4.20

4.42

.066

4.20

4.38

NS

4.36

4.16

NS

Prestige of the specialty I am considering

2.20

2.49

.042*

2.17

2.42

.072

2.41

2.59

NS

Career workshops and courses

2.66

2.53

NS

2.63

5.47

NS

2.71

2.36

.054*

Opportunities to do research in this specialty

2.58

2.42

NS

2.57

2.38

NS

3.37

3.10

NS

Opportunities to provide care to underserved populations

3.43

3.28

NS

3.41

3.28

NS

3.37

3.10

NS

Attitudes toward primary care

I would like to become a primary care doctor in the future.

3.12

2.97

NS

3.11

3.13

NS

3.13

2.62

.024*

I am more interested in learning the skills required for my chosen specialty rather than a general set

2.79

2.82

NS

2.75

2.69

NS

2.69

3.45

<.001*

Primary care knowledge is useful for all medical students.

4.75

4.68

NS

4.75

4.70

NS

4.70

4.75

NS

Primary care should be a patient’s first contact with the health care system.

4.39

4.36

NS

4.38

4.68

NS

4.68

4.47

.060

Medical interviewing is a fundamental tool for all medical students to learn.

4.89

4.83

NS

4.92

4.87

.062

4.87

4.88

NS

Preventative care knowledge is essential for all medical students to learn.

4.83

4.53

<.000**

4.85

4.70

<.001**

4.70

4.67

NS

It is essential that medical students learn how to best communicate with patients

4.89

4.86

NS

4.91

4.89

NS

4.89

4.87

NS

Primary care doctors mostly manage chronic health problems.

3.26

3.79

<.001**

3.25

3.89

<.001**

3.89

3.81

NS

It is impossible to be an expert in such a wide field as primary care

2.69

3.0

.035*

2.69

2.97

.016*

2.97

3.31

0.76

Primary care is not very intellectually stimulating

1.90

2.22

.010*

1.91

2.47

.014*

2.47

2.58

NS

Primary care doctors have a large work overload.

3.63

3.95

.006**

3.63

4.15

.005**

4.15

4.05

NS

Primary care doctors are poorly valued by the rest of the medical profession.

3.48

3.76

0.22*

3.49

3.78

.033*

3.78

3.77

NS

A primary care doctor is clinically competent to provide most of the health care an individual may

3.96

3.99

NS

3.94

4.36

NS

4.36

4.36

NS

  1. *Significant at the 0.05 level. **Significant at the 0.01 level. Likert Scale (1 = ’Not important at all’; 5 = ’Very Important’). Differences tested via Kruskall-Wallis test; p below 0.10 displayed; NS = Not Significant. Values equal to or less than p = .10 shown.