Table 5 Students’ Motivation for Their Choice of Medicine as a Career
From: Cuban medical training for South African students: a mixed methods study
Cuban-trained | South African-trained | Mann-Whitney Z | p | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Median | Mean (SD) | Median | Mean (SD) | |||
1. Family wanted me to be a doctor | 2.00 | 2.50(1.62) | 2.00 | 2.12(1.19) | −0.75 | .452 |
2. Good at sciences | 4.00 | 4.07(0.75) | 4.00 | 3.71(1.20) | −1.03 | .303 |
3. Working for social change | 5.00 | 4.31(1.00) | 4.00 | 3.43(1.27) | −3.09 | .002 |
4. High income potential | 3.00 | 3.21(1.34) | 4.00 | 3.50(1.11) | −0.80 | .424 |
5. Desire to work in a rural/underserved area* | 5.00 | 4.28(1.07) | 2.00 | 2.36(1.14) | −5.46 | .000 |
6. Desire to work in another country | 1.00 | 2.03(1.27) | 2.50 | 2.69(1.24) | −2.30 | .022 |
7. Social recognition or status | 1.00 | 1.96(1.32) | 3.00 | 2.67(1.26) | −2.37 | .018 |
8. Stable, secure future | 4.00 | 3.79(1.24) | 5.00 | 4.29(1.07) | −1.98 | .048 |
9. Creativity and initiative* | 4.00 | 4.10(0.86) | 3.00 | 3.05(1.23) | −3.58 | .000 |
10. Availability of jobs in the future | 4.00 | 4.07(1.03) | 5.00 | 4.33(1.03) | −1.53 | .125 |
11. Work/life balance | 4.00 | 4.00(1.13) | 3.00 | 3.38(1.06) | −2.49 | .013 |
12.Could not do my preferred subject/option | 1.00 | 1.90(1.32) | 1.00 | 1.45(1.09) | −1.74 | .083 |
13. Desire to help other people | 5.00 | 4.69(0.54) | 4.00 | 4.07(1.07) | −2.69 | .007 |
14. Improve health in my country* | 5.00 | 4.69(0.54) | 4.00 | 3.76(1.16) | −3.76 | .000 |
15. Become a community leader* | 5.00 | 4.35(0.97) | 3.00 | 3.02(1.26) | −4.35 | .000 |