Assessing factors for choosing a primary care specialty in medical students; A longitudinal study
Bibliographic Data
A shortage of primary care physicians exists in the US, and medical schools are investigating factors that influence specialty choice. To better understand the factors associated with medical students choosing primary care specialties, a longitudinal annual survey from 2013 to 2019 was administered to students at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, starting pre-matriculation. A logistic regression model examined factors of interest. Matching into a primary care specialty (family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics) for residency was the primary outcome. Our study compared factors students reported in annual surveys: demographics, mentorship, debt, and lifestyle. Factors significantly associated with primary care specialty included pre-medical and medical school research, a family member in primary care, student age and gender. 28% of men chose primary care, and 47% of women. Although there was no gender difference in rates of medical education debt (N = 286, χ 2(1) = 0.28, p = 0.60), men were more likely to report being influenced by debt (N = 278, χ2(1) = 10.88, p = 0.001), and students who reported debt-influenced specialty choice were one-third as likely to enter primary care (N = 189, 95% CI [0.11-1.06], p = 0.06). For men, potential salary was negatively associated with entering primary care ( p = 0.03). Women were more likely to have a mentor in primary care (N = 374, χ2(1) = 13.87, p p = 0.03). The decision to enter primary care is influenced by many factors; a key gender differentiator is that men's specialty choice is more negatively influenced by financial concerns
Debt · Family medicine · Logistic regression · Medical education · Mentorship · Primary care · Primary care physician · Salary · Specialty · Healthcare cost, quality, practices · Healthcare Policy and Management · Medicine · Primary Care and Health Outcomes · Internal Medicine
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |