Medicine as a career choice: a cross-sectional study on undergraduate medical students at King Abdulaziz University

Background: During the last 15 years large number medical schools have been launched in Saudi Arabia in order to compensate for the shortage of Saudi physicians. Till now the reasons for choosing the medical profession by Saudi students were not thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to investigate the reasons for study medicine at King Abdulaziz University (KAU); and if there is any difference in these reasons between the junior and senior medical student.  Factors helping in profession selection as well as the future specialty selection were also investigated.Methods: This comparative cross section study was conducted at KAU during the year 2014-2015 using a self-administered questionnaire distributed to all the 2nd and 6th year medical students.Results: Like to help patients, interest in medical field and being prestigious career were the commonest causes of choosing the medical profession among the 2nd year students and they were significantly rated higher ( 0.031, 0.001, 0.028) in 2nd year students compared to the 6th year. Getting a high GPA was rated significantly higher (p=0.01) by the 6th year students than the 2nd year students. Publications and internet sources was the significant (p=0.001) helpful factors rated by the 2nd year students. Surgery, Pediatric and Internal medicine were the commonest future specialties that had been chosen by both 2nd and 6th year students.Conclusions: Comprehensive and structured programs directed to the secondary school and preparatory university year students to guide them to the proper career with the highlight of Medicine as one of the profession strongly needed in Saudi Arabia.

Specialty selection satisfaction and regret among medical school postgraduates and faculty at King Abdulaziz University

Background: In the field of medicine, specialty selection is a life-altering decision that plays a crucial role in career satisfaction, and in turn patient-care. This study explores the significant factors affecting specialty selection satisfaction and regret from the perspective of medical postgraduates and faculty in King Abdulaziz University (KAU).  Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out on a sample of 172 medical school postgraduates and faculty working at KAU using self-administered questionnaire.Results: The majority of the participants were residents (51.7%), The analysis showed that 11% of the participants regret their choice of specialty. The results showed that the level of satisfaction increases as the academic degree of the participants increase. Among the significant factors affected specialty selection satisfaction and regret were; income (P = 0.003), long length of training (P = 0.027), vast options of sub-specialties (P = 0.001) and interesting and exciting field.Conclusion: These results identify the essential factors that have a potential impact on specialty satisfaction and regret among medical school postgraduates and faculty. This highlights the importance of career counseling for the proper specialty selection

How does the new developed curriculum affect the perception of medical graduates at King Abdulaziz University about professionalism?

Background: In 2007 Faculty of Medicine (FOM), King Abdulaziz University (KAU) reoriented the medical curriculum and integrated professionalism. This study was conducted to assess the perception of professionalism attitudes by medical graduates who graduated from the new curriculum that incorporated the professionalism module and compare it to those who did not.Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted at the teaching hospital of the FOM, KAU using a modified version of the well-constructed questionnairedesigned to assess the student’s attitudes toward professionalism was distributed to all interns in the academic year of 2013-2014. Statistical analysis was carried out using Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) version 16.Results: Higher mean scores with significant differences in all aspects of professionalism were observed in interns graduated from the new curriculum when compared to those of the old one and was previously reported by Eldeek et al., (2012). The importance of adhering to high ethical and moral behavior and the need of humanity in the efficacy of the medical practice were the most significant attributes with effect size of 0.64 and 0.58 respectively. Studying in the clinical years represented the first helpful source of the participant to develop their perception about professionalism. Conclusion: The new developed curriculum at the FOM succeeded to improve the graduate perception about professionalism.

Medicine as a career choice: a cross-sectional study on undergraduate medical students at King Abdulaziz University

Background: During the last 15 years large number medical schools have been launched in Saudi Arabia in order to compensate for the shortage of Saudi physicians. Till now the reasons for choosing the medical profession by Saudi students were not thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to investigate the reasons for study medicine at King Abdulaziz University (KAU); and if there is any difference in these reasons between the junior and senior medical student.  Factors helping in profession selection as well as the future specialty selection were also investigated.Methods: This comparative cross section study was conducted at KAU during the year 2014-2015 using a self-administered questionnaire distributed to all the 2nd and 6th year medical students.Results: Like to help patients, interest in medical field and being prestigious career were the commonest causes of choosing the medical profession among the 2nd year students and they were significantly rated higher ( 0.031, 0.001, 0.028) in 2nd year students compared to the 6th year. Getting a high GPA was rated significantly higher (p=0.01) by the 6th year students than the 2nd year students. Publications and internet sources was the significant (p=0.001) helpful factors rated by the 2nd year students. Surgery, Pediatric and Internal medicine were the commonest future specialties that had been chosen by both 2nd and 6th year students.Conclusions: Comprehensive and structured programs directed to the secondary school and preparatory university year students to guide them to the proper career with the highlight of Medicine as one of the profession strongly needed in Saudi Arabia.

Health rights knowledge among medical school students at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Health care is a basic human right, and Saudi Arabia affirms these rights for all its citizens.To assess the knowledge of medical students regarding health rights in Saudi Arabia.This cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) from September 2015 through November 2015. A questionnaire written in English collected demographic data and included questions about reproductive health care and health rights of women and patients with cancer, senility, or special needs.Of the 267 participants, 184 (68.9%) were female, and 252 (94.4%) were Saudi. Regarding consent, 87 (32.6%) and 113 (42.3%) participants believed a female patient required the consent of a male guardian to receive medical treatment or surgery, respectively, in Saudi Arabia, and only 106 (39.7%) knew that a female patient could provide consent for a caesarean section. Sixty-six (24.7%) believed that abortion is never allowed in Islam. Only 93 (34.8%) were aware that acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients had health rights, about half (144, 53.9%) knew that cancer patients have a right to full information, and most (181, 67.8%) believed that a patient had the right to withhold health information from his/her family. Approximately half were aware that cancer patients have the right to free medical treatment (138, 51.7%) or that health rights applied to special needs patients (137, 51.3%) and senile patients (122, 45.7%).The knowledge of KAU medical students regarding health rights of certain patient populations highlights the importance of health rights education in medical school

Male and female medical students’ knowledge of reproductive health rights in Saudi Arabia¹.

<p>Male and female medical students’ knowledge of reproductive health rights in Saudi Arabia<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0176714#t006fn002" target="_blank">¹</a>.</p

Male and female medical students’ knowledge of the health rights of cancer patients in Saudi Arabia¹.

<p>Male and female medical students’ knowledge of the health rights of cancer patients in Saudi Arabia<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0176714#t008fn001" target="_blank">¹</a>.</p

Male and Female medical student’s knowledge of the rights of female patients in Saudi Arabia¹.

<p>Male and Female medical student’s knowledge of the rights of female patients in Saudi Arabia<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0176714#t005fn001" target="_blank">¹</a>.</p

Medical students’ knowledge of the rights of female patients in Saudi Arabia.

<p>Medical students’ knowledge of the rights of female patients in Saudi Arabia.</p

Medical students’ knowledge of the health rights of cancer patients in Saudi Arabia.

<p>Medical students’ knowledge of the health rights of cancer patients in Saudi Arabia.</p