A study of medical students' pre-medical-school and graduation specialty preferences examined sex differences in selection of pediatrics at both points and changes from preference for pediatrics. Half those abandoning early preference for pediatrics stayed within primary care. More shifted from family practice to pediatrics than kept their…

Specialty choices for medical school graduates of the University of Sao Paolo (Brazil) in 1975-84 and 1989-94 were analyzed by gender. Results showed women predominating in pediatrics and men in surgery and orthopedics in both periods, with no gender predominance in other specialties. Significant changes occurred in specialty choice patterns…

Analysis of data from 53 medical students found a gender-specific correlation between faculty evaluations of clinical clerkships and eventual female student choice of that rotation's specialty and between high mini-Board scores by male students and male selection of that specialty. Substantially more women chose pediatrics residencies than…

Data on 270 graduates of the Boston (Massachusetts) Children's Hospital's pediatric residency program during 1974-86 indicate an unusually high percentage (66 percent) in academic pediatrics careers, 31 percent in pediatrics practice, and 3 percent in other professional activities. The percentage of women increased steadily, from 30-39 percent,…

A survey of 437 pediatricians graduating in 1981-87 found that men and whites were significantly more likely to have trained in subspecialties rather than chosen primary care practice, as were earlier graduates. Type of medical school attended and level of educational debt were not significantly related. (Author/MSE)

A follow-up study of 148 medical school graduates investigated the predictive value of medical college admissions data for choice of a generalist career (family practice, general internal medicine, general pediatrics). Factors indicating a high orientation toward community service before medical school were found predictive of generalist choices.…

A questionnaire was administered to 339 graduating senior medical students at the Medical College of Georgia to determine different potential sources of influence on career choice. Indebtedness may be associated with the choice of a non-primary care specialty with greater remuneration than primary care specialty. (MLW)

It is proposed that medical schools recruit students from rural areas, have them choose family practice, and train them in rural settings. Specific recommendations for improving content and context of rural medical care education are made, including merging internal medicine, family practice, and pediatrics as a single primary care specialty.…

Three Medical College of Pennsylvania (MCP) surveys are analyzed. One investigated 104 MCP graduating seniors' perceptions of their medical education and specialty and residency choices. The second asked 40 residency program directors in 4 specialties about resident selection criteria. The third had 30 physician employers identify desirable…