Community Health, Mbarara University of Science and Technology Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara, Uganda
Africa Center for Systematic Reviews and Knowledge Translation, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.
BMJ Open. 2022 Aug 26;12(8):e057020. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-057020.
To determine the distribution of career aspirations for the discipline of specialty among undergraduate medical students in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE Google Scholar and Google for studies published between 1 January 2000 and 31 June 2021. Two reviewers extracted data from eligible studies, with disagreements resolved through consensus with a third reviewer. The random effects model was used to pool proportions, presented with the corresponding 95% CI. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochrane's (Q) test but quantified with I values. Sources of heterogeneity were checked using meta-regression analysis while publication bias was assessed using funnel plot and Egger's test.
SSA.
Undergraduate medical students.
Primary outcome was pooled proportion of career aspirations for the discipline of medical specialty and the secondary outcome was reasons for the specialty selection.
We identified 789 citations but meta-analysed 32 studies, with an overall sample size of 8231 participants. The most popular career aspiration for the discipline of specialty was surgery (29.5%; 95% CI 25.0% to 34.2%), followed by internal medicine (17.3%, 95% CI 11.7% to 23.7%), and then obstetrics and gynaecology (15.0%, 95% CI 12.3% to 17.9%), and paediatrics (11.3%; 95% CI 9.6% to 13.2%). The less popular medical disciplines of specialty included public health, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, family medicine, pathology, anaesthesiology, dermatology, otolaryngology, psychiatry and emergency medicine. The reasons for the selection of a medical discipline for specialty related to mentor and peer influences, prospect for economic gains, personal factors, long-term career interests and goals and discipline-specific factors.
Surgery is the most preferred career aspiration for medical students in SSA, followed by internal medicine. The choices do not necessarily match the disease burden on the continent and medical schools should consider strengthening career counselling and mentoring in their curriculum.
CRD42021260501.
确定撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA）本科医学生对专业学科职业志向的分布情况。
我们在 PubMed/MEDLINE、EMBASE、Google Scholar 和 Google 上搜索了 2000 年 1 月 1 日至 2021 年 6 月 31 日期间发表的研究。两位评审员从合格研究中提取数据，如有分歧，则通过第三位评审员达成共识。使用随机效应模型汇总比例，用相应的 95%CI 表示。使用 Cochrane(Q)检验评估异质性，但用 I 值量化。使用元回归分析检查异质性的来源，同时使用漏斗图和 Egger 检验评估发表偏倚。
SSA。
本科医学生。
主要结局是专业学科职业志向的汇总比例，次要结局是专业选择的原因。
我们确定了 789 条引文，但对 32 项研究进行了荟萃分析，总样本量为 8231 名参与者。最受欢迎的专业学科职业志向是外科（29.5%；95%CI 25.0%至 34.2%），其次是内科（17.3%，95%CI 11.7%至 23.7%），然后是妇产科（15.0%，95%CI 12.3%至 17.9%）和儿科学（11.3%；95%CI 9.6%至 13.2%）。不太受欢迎的专业医学学科包括公共卫生、矫形外科、眼科、家庭医学、病理学、麻醉学、皮肤病学、耳鼻喉科、精神病学和急诊医学。选择医学专业学科的原因与导师和同伴的影响、经济收益前景、个人因素、长期职业兴趣和目标以及学科特定因素有关。
外科是 SSA 医学生最理想的职业志向，其次是内科。这些选择不一定与非洲大陆的疾病负担相匹配，医学院校应考虑在课程中加强职业咨询和指导。
PROSPERO 注册号：CRD42021260501。
