Aim To determine the level of professional commitment
of medical students by developing and applying a new
scale.
Methods The study enrolled 999 students of Çanakkale
Onsekiz Mart University, School of Medicine. Factor analysis, reliability analysis, and item analysis were performed
based on the classical test theory and item response theory. The data obtained through scale application were analyzed using factorial ANOVA.
Results The Commitment to Profession of Medicine Scale
was identified as a unidimensional scale consisting of nine
items. The scale in its present form explained 51% of the
variance in commitment to profession of medicine. The reliability was 0.88. The scale application revealed that female
students had higher commitment than male students. The
highest level of commitment was observed in third- and
first-year students, students with the lowest level of family
income, and students whose ideal profession was medicine.
Conclusion There are many factors affecting professional
commitment levels of university students. Therefore, it is of
great importance to examine students’ commitment at an
early stage. In addition, the experiences of students during university years are important since they directly affect the commitment level. Considering these factors, teachers
should support their students and strive to increase their
commitment levels
