Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37649912›Full record

ArticleThe Ulster medical journal2023

'Factors influencing future career choices of Queen's University Belfast Medical students.'

S Madden, N Martin, J M Clements, S J Kirk

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Ulster medical journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Observational
  2. What Do Undergraduate Medical Students Value in Plastic Surgery Conferences?Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

S MaddenSchool of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast.
N MartinSchool of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast.
J M ClementsSchool of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast.
S J KirkSchool of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast.
Queen's University Belfast · GBUlster Hospital · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionDecisions made by medical students on future career choice have demonstrated concordance with subsequent postgraduate career path. This study aimed to understand the factors that impact undergraduate career decision making.

methodsAn anonymous voluntary survey consisting of binominal, Likert and free text responses was distributed to all medical students registered at Queen's University Belfast (QUB). Data was collected over 6 weeks in April-May 2021. The primary outcome was future career aspirations. The secondary outcomes were the impact of mentorship on career choice, the likelihood of students completing their medical degree and practicing medicine upon graduation. Local ethical approval was obtained.

results202 responses were received (response rate 15%). 67% (n = 135) were female. One third of respondents remained undecided about their future career choice. Surgery was both the most popular definite career choice (16.3%) of respondents, butalsothespecialtymarkedmostoftenas'Least preferred Specialty' (33%). Factors positively influencing career choice were academic interest and flexibility in working hours. Negative predictors of career choice were lack of interest in the area, perceived workload, and duration of training schemes. 71% (n=144) of respondents reported that a subspecialty mentor would positively influence their career choice and two-thirds of respondents reported that financial factors would influence their career decision. 11% (n= 22) of respondents were unsure or undecided if they would continue medicine as a career upon graduation.

conclusionUncertainty over future career intention remains common with surgery the least popular speciality. Mentorship, integrating flexibility in training and enhancing academic interest should be considered by educational stakeholders as mechanisms to generating undergraduate interest in a subspecialty. Furthermore, the reported rate of students intention to leave their medical degree prior to graduation by this cohort is concerning, warranting further investigation.

Indexed as

MedicineStudents, MedicalCareer ChoiceFemaleHumansMaleUniversitiesWorkloadCareer aspirationfinanceinfluencing factorsmedical studentmentorship

Identifiers

PMID37649912
PMCPMC10464625
OpenAlexW4386305709

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.