Motivational factors associated with intentions to pursue anesthesiology among medical students: a cross-national study.

Introduction: Understanding what motivates students to choose a specialty can be a lever for shaping choices aligned with the needs of the healthcare system. This study aimed to determine students' intentions to pursue anesthesiology and to identify the motivational factors associated with these intentions in two different training systems. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study (2018-2021) based on a self-administered questionnaire completed by final year medical students in France and Switzerland. Principal component analysis and Cronbach's alpha were performed to provide preliminary evidence of internal structure and internal consistency of a revised version of the Motivational Career Choice Questionnaire (MCCQ-R). Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify demographic and motivational factors associated with anesthesiology career intentions. Results: A total of 703 participants were included (response rate 74, 62% women). The average proportion of undergraduates intending to choose anesthesiology was 7.7% ( Conclusion: "Diverse scope of practice" and "working conditions," as measured by the MCCQ-R, are associated with students' intention to choose anesthesiology as a specialty. Emphasizing these aspects during medical training could help attract students to the specialty.