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Table 3 Specialty preferences of respondents, difference by gender, intention to stay in home country and intention to stay in an HIC

From: Specialty preferences of studying-abroad medical students from low- and middle-income countries

Specialty preferences

All respondents

Respondents who had clear migration intentions for permanent stay

Respondents who chose a specified foreign country for permanent stay

Total

n = 445

n (%)

Male

n = 231

n (%)

Female

n = 214

n (%)

p-value

Total

n = 444a

n (%)

Those choosing home country for permanent stay

n = 225

 N (%)

Those choosing a foreign country for permanent stay

n = 219

 N (%)

p-value

Total

n = 216b

n (%)

Those choosing an HIC

n = 92

 N (%)

Those choosing an LMIC

n = 124

 N (%)

p-value

Surgery

135

(30.3%)

88

(38.1%)

47

(22.0%)

0.000*

135

(30.4%)

64

(28.4%)

71

(32.4%)

0.363

69

(31.9%)

32

(34.8%)

37

(29.8%)

0.441

General surgery

55

(12.4%)

33

(14.3%)

22

(10.3%)

0.200

55

(12.4%)

29

(12.9%)

26

(11.9%)

0.745

26

(12.0%)

18

(19.6%)

8

(6.5%)

0.003*

Neurological surgery

42

(9.4%)

26

(11.3%)

16

(7.5%)

0.173

42

(9.5%)

16

(7.1%)

26

(11.9%)

0.087

24

(11.1%)

7

(7.6%)

17

(13.7%)

0.158

Cardio-thoracic surgery

14

(3.1%)

11

(4.8%)

3

(1.4%)

0.042*

14

(3.2%)

9

(4.0%)

5

(2.3%)

0.301

5

(2.3%)

1

(1.1%)

4

(3.2%)

0.301

Orthopaedic surgery

16

(3.6%)

13

(5.6%)

3

(1.4%)

0.017*

16

(3.6%)

9

(4.0%)

7

(3.0%)

0.650

7

(3.2%)

5

(5.4%)

2

(1.6%)

0.117

Plastic and reconstructive surgery

5

(1.1%)

3

(1.3%)

2

(0.9%)

0.716

5

(1.1%)

0

(0.0%)

5

(2.3%)

0.023*

5

(2.3%)

1

(1.1%)

4

(3.2%)

0.301

Urology

3

(0.7%)

2

(0.9%)

1

(0.5%)

0.608

3

(0.7%)

1

(0.4%)

2

(0.9%)

0.547

2

(0.9%)

0

(0.0%)

2

(1.6%)

0.221

Medicine

95

(21.3%)

51

(22.1%)

44

(20.6%)

0.696

94

(21.2%)

45

(20.0%)

49

(22.4%)

0.540

49

(22.7%)

18

(19.6%)

31

(25.0%)

0.346

(Primary care) General internal medicine

31

(7.0%)

21

(9.1%)

10

(4.7%)

0.067

30

(6.8%)

12

(5.3%)

18

(8.2%)

0.226

18

(8.3%)

5

(5.4%)

13

(10.5%)

0.184

(Non-primary care) Internal medicine or subspecialty

36

(8.1%)

20

(8.7%)

16

(7.5%)

0.648

36

(8.1%)

17

(7.6%)

19

(8.7%)

0.665

19

(8.8%)

10

(10.9%)

9

(7.3%)

0.354

Neurology

19

(4.3%)

9

(3.9%)

10

(4.7%)

0.686

19

(4.3%)

12

(5.3%)

7

(3.2%)

0.266

7

(3.2%)

2

(2.2%)

5

(4.0%)

0.446

Radiation oncology

8

(1.8%)

1

(0.4%)

7

(3.3%)

0.024*

8

(1.8%)

4

(1.8%)

4

(1.8%)

0.969

4

(1.9%)

1

(1.1%)

3

(2.4%)

0.473

Physical medicine and rehabilitation

0

(0.0%)

0

(0.0%)

0

(0.0%)

N/Ac

0

(0.0%)

0

(0.0%)

0

(0.0%)

N/Ac

0

(0.0%)

0

(0.0%)

0

(0.0%)

N/Ac

Clinical pharmacology

1

(0.2%)

0

(0.0%)

1

(0.5%)

0.298

1

(0.2%)

0

(0.0%)

1

(0.5%)

0.310

1

(0.5%)

0

(0.0%)

1

(0.8%)

0.388

Obstetrics and gynaecology or subspecialty

48

(10.8%)

4

(1.7%)

44

(20.6%)

0.000*

48

(10.8%)

29

(12.9%)

19

(8.7%)

0.153

19

(8.8%)

13

(14.1%)

6

(4.8%)

0.017*

General practice/Family medicine

46

(10.3%)

32

(13.9%)

14

(6.5%)

0.011*

46

(10.4%)

25

(11.1%)

21

(9.6%)

0.599

20

(9.3%)

5

(5.4%)

15

(12.1%)

0.095

Paediatrics

32

(7.2%)

13

(5.6%)

19

(8.9%)

0.185

32

(7.2%)

16

(7.1%)

16

(7.3%)

0.937

16

(7.4%)

7

(7.6%)

9

(7.3%)

0.922

(Primary care) General paediatrics

14

(3.1%)

7

(3.0%)

7

(3.3%)

0.884

14

(3.2%)

8

(3.6%)

6

(2.7%)

0.623

6

(2.8%)

3

(3.3%)

3

(2.4%)

0.710

(Non-primary care) Paediatrics or subspecialty

18

(4.0%)

6

(2.6%)

12

(5.6%)

0.107

18

(4.1%)

8

(3.6%)

10

(4.6%)

0.589

10

(4.6%)

4

(4.3%)

6

(4.8%)

0.865

Accident and emergency

11

(2.5%)

5

(2.2%)

6

(2.8%)

0.664

11

(2.5%)

4

(1.8%)

7

(3.2%)

0.336

7

(3.2%)

3

(3.3%)

4

(3.2%)

0.989

Anaesthesiology

7

(1.6%)

5

(2.2%)

2

(0.9%)

0.298

7

(1.6%)

4

(1.8%)

3

(1.4%)

0.730

3

(1.4%)

1

(1.1%)

2

(1.6%)

0.744

Emergency medicine

4

(0.9%)

0

(0.0%)

4

(1.9%)

0.037*

4

(0.9%)

0

(0.0%)

4

(1.8%)

0.042*

4

(1.9%)

2

(2.2%)

2

(1.6%)

0.762

Dermatology

16

(3.6%)

7

(3.0%)

9

(4.2%)

0.506

16

(3.6%)

8

(3.6%)

8

(3.7%)

0.956

8

(3.7%)

4

(4.3%)

4

(3.2%)

0.666

Psychiatry

9

(2.0%)

4

(1.7%)

5

(2.3%)

0.651

9

(2.0%)

7

(3.1%)

2

(0.9%)

0.100

2

(0.9%)

1

(1.1%)

1

(0.8%)

0.831

Laboratory Medicine

6

(1.3%)

1

(0.4%)

5

(2.3%)

0.082

6

(1.4%)

2

(0.9%)

4

(1.8%)

0.392

4

(1.9%)

3

(3.3%)

1

(0.8%)

0.186

Pathology

4

(0.9%)

0

(0.0%)

4

(1.9%)

0.037*

4

(0.9%)

2

(0.9%)

2

(0.9%)

0.978

2

(0.9%)

2

(2.2%)

0

(0.0%)

0.099

Medical genetics

2

(0.4%)

1

(0.4%)

1

(0.5%)

0.957

2

(0.5%)

0

(0.0%)

2

(0.9%)

0.151

2

(0.9%)

1

(1.1%)

1

(0.8%)

0.831

Community medicine and public health/Social and preventive medicine

6

(1.3%)

1

(0.4%)

5

(2.3%)

0.082

6

(1.4%)

3

(1.3%)

3

(1.4%)

0.973

3

(1.4%)

3

(3.3%)

0

(0.0%)

0.043*

Otolaryngology

5

(1.1%)

3

(1.3%)

2

(0.9%)

0.716

5

(1.1%)

4

(1.8%)

1

(0.5%)

0.187

1

(0.5%)

1

(1.1%)

0

(0.0%)

0.245

Radiology

3

(0.7%)

2

(0.9%)

1

(0.5%)

0.608

3

(0.7%)

2

(0.9%)

1

(0.5%)

0.578

1

(0.5%)

0

(0.0%)

1

(0.8%)

0.388

Ophthalmology

1

(0.2%)

1

(0.4%)

0

(0.0%)

0.335

1

(0.2%)

1

(0.4%)

0

(0.0%)

0.323

0

(0.0%)

0

(0.0%)

0

(0.0%)

N/Ac

Not plan to practice medicine

19

(4.3%)

14

(6.1%)

5

(2.3%)

0.052

19

(4.3%)

8

(3.6%)

11

(5.0%)

0.445

11

(5.1%)

2

(2.2%)

9

(7.3%)

0.093

Undecided

13

(2.9%)

5

(2.2%)

8

(3.7%)

0.325

13

(2.9%)

7

(3.1%)

6

(2.7%)

0.816

6

(2.8%)

0

(0.0%)

6

(4.8%)

0.032*

  1. Notes: a One respondent did not have clear migration intentions for permanent stay, whose data were excluded from analysis
  2. b Three respondents who chose a foreign country for permanent stay did not specify the name of the foreign country, whose data were excluded from analysis
  3. c N/A means not applicable
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