Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38249227›Full record

ArticleCureus2023

Uncertainty in Medical and Dental Students of Pakistan Regarding Their Future Career and Its Major Causes: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Waseem Sajjad, Muhammad Iqbal, Muhammad Haziq, Aleena Fatima, Iraj Fatima, Wajahat Ullah Ismail, Rahmat Ali, Qayum Ali Shah, Asmi Shaheen

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 23% 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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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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

9 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Waseem SajjadDepartment of Community Medicine and Public Health, Mayo Hospital Lahore, Lahore, PAK.
Muhammad IqbalDepartment of Orthodontics, de'Montmorency College of Dentistry, Lahore, PAK.
Muhammad HaziqDepartment of Orthodontics, de'Montmorency College of Dentistry, Lahore, PAK.
Aleena FatimaDepartment of Orthodontics, de'Montmorency College of Dentistry, Lahore, PAK.
Iraj FatimaDepartment of Orthodontics, de'Montmorency College of Dentistry, Lahore, PAK.
Wajahat Ullah IsmailDepartment of Community Medicine and Public Health, Mayo Hospital Lahore, Lahore, PAK.
Rahmat AliDepartment of Internal Medicine, Mayo Hospital Lahore, Lahore, PAK.
Qayum Ali ShahDepartment of Internal Medicine, Mayo Hospital Lahore, Lahore, PAK.
Asmi ShaheenDepartment of Orthodontics, de'Montmorency College of Dentistry, Lahore, PAK.
Mayo Hospital · PKCollège Montmorency · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the extent of confidence in medical and dental students regarding their careers after being enrolled in their germane institutes and to identify the magnitude of uncertainty in medical and dental students about their careers and the important causes of this uncertainty.

methodsThis study was conducted among enrolled students in different medical and dental colleges and universities of Pakistan, including the public and private sectors, from March 1 to March 15, 2023. The level of confidence in their career was evaluated using a close-ended questionnaire of a three-point Likert scale developed and tested by the investigators and approved by the Ethical Review Board (ERB) along with the synopsis. Data were managed and analyzed using Microsoft Excel 19 (Microsoft Corporation, USA) and IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 27 (released 2020; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States).

resultsThis study included 1,126 students from public and private medical and dental institutes. The majority of participants 965(85.7%) were satisfied with their chosen profession, and 1,042 (92.5%) students believed they could make a positive contribution to society. Out of the total participants, 246 (21.8%) students showed their intention of changing careers if provided with a comparable/alternative opportunity. A very small proportion, 154 (13.7%), were dissatisfied with their current clinical training and studies. The study also revealed that extra and unjustified academic pressure from institutions is the leading cause of uncertainty among students. Moreover, the lack of psychological support and counseling provided during the academic years adds to the magnitude of uncertainty.

conclusionIn Pakistan, a staggering number of medical and dental students are unsure of their future careers and career prospects. The main causes of this uncertainty are the extra, unwarranted academic pressure that institutions place on students and the dearth of psychological support and counseling offered during the course of studies. This study not only highlights the prevailing uncertainty among medical students but also identifies the causes behind it. Addressing these causes can alleviate the prevailing uncertainty and bring about satisfactory and productive academic achievements without suffering from worries about the future.

Indexed as

careercauses of uncertaintydental studentsmedical educationmedical studentsuncertainty

Identifiers

PMID38249227
PMCPMC10797223
OpenAlexW4389995656

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.