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Table 3 Descriptive statistics (with percentages in parenthesis) for the categorical and ordinal questionnaire variables

From: The specialty choices of graduates from Brighton and Sussex Medical School: a longitudinal cohort study

Variable

Descriptive statistics (percentages)

Stability of choice from year 4 to foundation year 2

50/77 (65) same specialty

27/77 (35) different specialty

Confident preferred specialty ‘right for me’

22/77 (29) very confident

42/77 (55) confident

10/77 (13) neutral

2/77 (3) unconfident

1/77 (1) very unconfident

Confident will get a job in preferred specialty

3/77 (4) very confident

35/77 (46) confident

31/77 (40) neutral

8/77 (10) unconfident

0/77 (0) very unconfident

Confident will get a job in any specialty (missing = 1)

7/77 (9) very confident

36/77 (47) confident

28/77 (36) neutral

5/77 (7) unconfident

0/77 (0) very unconfident

Considered leaving medicine in the past year (missing = 2)

41/105 (39) never

40/105 (39) once or twice

15/105 (15) monthly

 

5/105 (5) weekly

2/105 (2) daily

Specialty choice and favourite medical school placement

48/77 (62) same specialty

29/77 (38) different specialty

Specialty choice and worst medical school placement

2/77 (3) same specialty

75/77 (97) different specialty

When first considered specialty (missing = 2)

9/77 (12) before medical school

42/77 (54) medical school

17/77 (22) Foundation Year 1

7/77 (9) Foundation Year 2

n/a

When definitely decided on specialty

1/77 (1) before medical school

12/77 (16) medical school

29/77 (38) Foundation Year 1

27/77 (35) Foundation Year 2

8/77 (10) still undecided

Dissuaded from entering a specialty by experiences in the specialty (missing = 2)

13/105 (13) definitely not dissuaded

27/105 (26) probably not dissuaded

8/105 (8) uncertain

32/105(31) probably dissuaded

23/105 (22) definitely dissuaded