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Predictors of final specialty choice by internal medicine residents

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Sociodemographic factors and personality attributes predict career decisions in medical students. Determinants of internal medicine residents’ specialty choices have received little attention.

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors that predict the clinical practice of residents following their training.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and four categorical residents from 2 university-based residency programs.

MEASUREMENTS: Sociodemographic and personality inventories performed during residency, and actual careers 4 to 9 years later.

RESULTS: International medical school graduates (IMGs) were less likely to practice general medicine than U.S. graduates (33.3% vs 70.6%,P<.001). Residents with higher loan indebtedness more often became generalists (P=.001). A corresponding trend favoring general internal medicine was observed among those who perceived General Internists to have lower potential incomes (69.0% vs 53.3%,P=.08). There was a trend for generalists to have lower scores on scales measuring authoritarianism, negative orientation to psychological problems, and Machiavellianism (0.05<P<.10). In a logistic regression, graduation from a U.S. medical school (odds ratio [OR] 3.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00 to 9.10,P=.049] and perception of low future income (OR 1.65; 95% CI, 1.06 to 2.56,P=.03) predicted entry into general medicine, with trends apparent for higher debt (P=.05) and greater comfort caring for patients with psychological problems (P=.07).

CONCLUSION: Recruitment of IMGs may not increase the supply of General Internists. Prospects of lower income, even in the face of large debt, may not discourage residents from becoming generalists. If increasing generalist manpower is a goal, residencies should consider weighing applicants’ personal attributes during the selection process.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Office of Education, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    Ann Gateley MD

  2. Division of General Medicine (7879), Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curi Drive, San Antonio, TX

    Andrew K. Diehl MD, MSc, Vineeta Kumar MD, Jane L. Appleby MD & Mary E. O’Keefe MD

Authors
  1. Andrew K. Diehl MD, MSc
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  2. Vineeta Kumar MD
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  3. Ann Gateley MD
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  4. Jane L. Appleby MD
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  5. Mary E. O’Keefe MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrew K. Diehl MD, MSc.

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No conflicts of interest to declare.

Dr. Kumar is now with the Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Dr. O’Keefe is now with the Department of Medicine, Geisinger Health System, Darwille, PA, USA.

This research received no external funding.

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Diehl, A.K., Kumar, V., Gateley, A. et al. Predictors of final specialty choice by internal medicine residents. J GEN INTERN MED 21, 1045–1049 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00556.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00556.x

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