Gowans Margot C, Glazier Lee, Wright Bruce J, Brenneis Fraser R, Scott Ian M
Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Can J Psychiatry. 2009 Aug;54(8):557-64. doi: 10.1177/070674370905400808.
To report the proportion of Canadian medical students interested in a career in psychiatry at medical school entry and to describe the unique demographics and career influences associated with this early interest.
From 2001 to 2004, during the first 2 weeks of medical school, a 41-item survey of career choice, demographics, and attitudes toward various aspects of medical practice was distributed to all students in 18 classes at 8 Canadian medical schools. Associations between early career interest, demographics, and career influences were explored.
Of the 2096 completed surveys, 3.2% of students named psychiatry as their first career choice. While 34% of students considered psychiatry a possible career option, 54.9% stated that they had not considered this option. Students interested in psychiatry were more likely than other students to have an undergraduate education in the arts, to have close family or friends practicing medicine, and to have worked voluntarily with people with mental illness. Students interested in psychiatry had a lesser social orientation than students interested in family medicine but had a greater social orientation and lesser hospital orientation than students interested in other specialties.
Enhanced psychiatric care may be aided by the selective recruitment into medical school of students with a demonstrated empathy toward people with mental illness, an educational background in the arts, and a strong social orientation. As career influences change throughout medical school, participants in this study will be re-surveyed at graduation to better understand the evolution of career choice decision-making throughout medical school.
报告加拿大医学生在医学院入学时对精神病学职业感兴趣的比例，并描述与这种早期兴趣相关的独特人口统计学特征和职业影响因素。
2001年至2004年期间，在医学院开学的前两周，向加拿大8所医学院18个班级的所有学生发放了一份包含41个项目的关于职业选择、人口统计学特征以及对医疗实践各个方面态度的调查问卷。探讨了早期职业兴趣、人口统计学特征和职业影响因素之间的关联。
在2096份完成的调查问卷中，3.2%的学生将精神病学列为他们的第一职业选择。虽然34%的学生认为精神病学是一个可能的职业选择，但54.9%的学生表示他们没有考虑过这个选择。对精神病学感兴趣的学生比其他学生更有可能拥有人文科学本科学历，有从事医学工作的近亲或朋友，并且曾自愿与精神疾病患者共事。对精神病学感兴趣的学生与对家庭医学感兴趣的学生相比，社会取向较低，但与对其他专业感兴趣的学生相比，社会取向较高，医院取向较低。
通过有选择地录取对精神疾病患者表现出同理心、拥有人文科学教育背景且具有强烈社会取向的学生进入医学院，可能有助于加强精神科护理。随着整个医学院学习过程中职业影响因素的变化，本研究的参与者将在毕业时接受重新调查，以更好地了解整个医学院学习期间职业选择决策的演变。
