TY - JOUR
T1 - Factors associated with choice of career in family medicine among junior doctors in Oman
AU - Al-Salmani, Asma Ali
AU - Al-Shidhani, Asma
AU - Jaafar, Najlaa
AU - Al-Mahrezi, Abdulaziz
N1 - Funding Information:
Permission was received from the University of Alberta to use the survey assessing factors influencing choice of speciality.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Sultan Qaboos University. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/8
Y1 - 2020/8
N2 - Objectives: The number of family physicians in Oman is far below that recommended by the World Health Organization. This study aimed to determine factors influencing junior doctors’ choice of a career in family medicine. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between March and June 2018 and targeted applicants to Oman Medical Specialty Board residency programmes during the 2018–2019 academic year. Applicants were grouped according to their choice of either family medicine (n = 64) or other specialities (n = 81). A self-administered questionnaire was utilised to compare the applicants’ sociodemographic characteristics, factors influencing their choice of career and their Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) personality traits. Results: A total of 52 family medicine and 43 other residency applicants participated in the study (response rates: 81.3% and 53.1%, respectively). Most family medicine applicants were female (86.5%), married (65.4%) and resided in rural areas (73.1%); moreover, 19.2% were ≥30 years of age. Overall, emphasis on continuity of care, opportunity to deal with a variety of medical problems, the ability to use a wide range of skills and knowledge, early exposure to the discipline, opportunity to teach and perform research and the influence of family or friends were important factors in determining choice of a career in family medicine. Moreover, the MBTI analysis revealed that family medicine applicants were commonly extroverted-sensing-thinking-judging personality types. Conclusion: Knowledge of the factors influencing career choice among junior doctors may be useful in determining future admission policies in order to increase the number of family physicians in Oman.
AB - Objectives: The number of family physicians in Oman is far below that recommended by the World Health Organization. This study aimed to determine factors influencing junior doctors’ choice of a career in family medicine. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between March and June 2018 and targeted applicants to Oman Medical Specialty Board residency programmes during the 2018–2019 academic year. Applicants were grouped according to their choice of either family medicine (n = 64) or other specialities (n = 81). A self-administered questionnaire was utilised to compare the applicants’ sociodemographic characteristics, factors influencing their choice of career and their Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) personality traits. Results: A total of 52 family medicine and 43 other residency applicants participated in the study (response rates: 81.3% and 53.1%, respectively). Most family medicine applicants were female (86.5%), married (65.4%) and resided in rural areas (73.1%); moreover, 19.2% were ≥30 years of age. Overall, emphasis on continuity of care, opportunity to deal with a variety of medical problems, the ability to use a wide range of skills and knowledge, early exposure to the discipline, opportunity to teach and perform research and the influence of family or friends were important factors in determining choice of a career in family medicine. Moreover, the MBTI analysis revealed that family medicine applicants were commonly extroverted-sensing-thinking-judging personality types. Conclusion: Knowledge of the factors influencing career choice among junior doctors may be useful in determining future admission policies in order to increase the number of family physicians in Oman.
KW - Career Choice
KW - Family Physicians
KW - Family Practice
KW - Internship and Residency
KW - Medical Specialty
KW - MyersBriggs Type Indicator
KW - Oman
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U2 - 10.18295/squmj.2020.20.03.014
DO - 10.18295/squmj.2020.20.03.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 33110650
AN - SCOPUS:85092041780
SN - 2075-051X
VL - 20
SP - 337
EP - 343
JO - Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
JF - Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
IS - 3
ER -