Many medical students shift their career preferences significantly between their second and fourth years, with 56% changing their choices according to a study conducted using surveys from 2016 to 2020.
Factors influencing these changes include future salary, competitiveness of the field, and work-life balance, while having a mentor and engaging with specialty content tends to stabilize choices.
The study highlights the need for improved curricular designs that expose students to various medical specialties earlier to enhance career decision satisfaction.
The subspecialty of Hospital Medicine (HM) has seen rapid growth since the mid-1990s, but little is understood about why medical students choose this path in the U.S.
An analysis of responses from over 46,000 medical students from 2018-2020 revealed that about 19.3% intended to pursue HM, with higher interest among female and minority students.
Key factors influencing this choice include the presence of role models, the possibility of fellowships, and a higher overall debt, while desires for a better salary and work/life balance tended to deter students from HM careers.