Table 3 Summary of exploratory factor analysis of motivational factors for career specialty preferences
Construct | Retained items | Factor loading | Variance (%) | Mean (SD) | Eigen value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Construct 1 Work Schedule and personal factors | A1. No or less hectic on calls | 0.755 | 20.8 | 3.6 (0.75) | 5.42 |
A3. Fixed working hours | 0.716 | ||||
C12. specialty with less medicolegal risk | 0.584 | ||||
C14. Flexible working conditions | 0.613 | ||||
D16. Family or relative influences/advice | 0.548 | ||||
D17. Better work life balance | 0.725 | ||||
Construct 2 Patient care characteristics | B4. Multidisciplinary or variety of illnesses/cases | 0.796 | 5.5 | 0.82 (0.85) | 1.43 |
B5. Acute patient care | 0.644 | ||||
B8. Continuous patient care | 0.740 | ||||
Construct 3 Training Factors | F26. Availability of parallel pathway | 0.798 | 11.2 | 3.92 (0.76) | 2.91 |
F27. Availability of training courses | 0.721 | ||||
F28. Length of training (short) | 0.798 | ||||
F29. Cost of training (less expensive) | 0.773 | ||||
Construct 4 Past work experience | E22. Good teamwork in the department | 0.593 | 10.0 | 4.13 (0.74) | 2.60 |
E23. Events or defining moments during housemanship | 0.701 | ||||
E24 Guidance and teaching activities in the department | 0.796 | ||||
E25.Specialist or senior colleague role model/influences | 0.866 | ||||
Construct 5 Specialty characteristic | C 9. Challenging nature of the field | 0.552 | 6.4 | 3.56 (0.91) | 1.65 |
C11. Surgical based | 0.710 | ||||
C13.More hands-on skills and procedures | 0.888 | ||||
Construct 6 Career prospects | G30. Future opportunities in private sector or private practice | 0.787 | 6.1 | 0.67 (0.81) | 1.59 |
G31. Financially rewarding | 0.798 | ||||
G32. Various subspecialties in the field to venture in future | 0.704 | ||||
Construct 7 Social factors | C15. Prestige or reputation of the specialty | 0.654 | 4.9 | 2.96 (0.93) | 1.21 |
D20. Medical school experiences | 0.746 | ||||
D21. Social media or public figure influence | 0.753 | ||||
Total variance: 64.9% Overall Cronbach’s alpha 0.830 | |||||