Interest and perceived barriers toward careers in academic medicine among medical students at Alfaisal University – College of Medicine: A Saudi Arabian perspective

Abstract

Aims: [1] Identify the percentage of undergraduate students who are interested in academic medicine (AM) careers, [2] Explore the relationship between students’ characteristics, previous experiences and interest in AM careers and [3] Determine students’ perceived barriers toward AM careers at Alfaisal University – College of Medicine.

Methods: An online, anonymous, random, self-rating survey was administered during spring 2013–2014 to second-year and third-year students (n = 302). Chi-square test was used to correlate between interest in AM careers and students’ characteristics. Mann–Whitney U-test was used to compare the mean 5-point Likert scale responses between male and female students.

Results: A total of 231 students participated in the survey (response rate: 76.5%). A total of 32 students (13.9%) expressed interest in AM careers, and this percentage significantly differed by gender, academic year, interest in teaching and research and previous research experiences (p < 0.05). The top three barriers were “lower income” (77.5%), “competing pressures to fulfill clinical-teaching-research duties” (73.6%) and “lack of career advising” (69.7%). As opposed to males, females achieved higher statistically significant differences of means regarding: “competing pressures to fulfill clinical-teaching-research duties” (p < 0.001) and “lack of same-gender role models in AM careers” (p < 0.000).

Conclusions: AM careers were unpopular by students. Curricular, extracurricular and institutional measures should be implemented to rectify this dilemma.

Acknowledgments

The Saudi Supplement on Medical Education is sponsored and supported by Al Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ahmed Abu-Zaid

Ahmed Abu-Zaid, MBBS, is a first-year PhD graduate student at Integrated Biomedical Sciences Program, College of Graduate Health Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

Basmah Altinawi

Basmah Altinawi is a sixth-year female medical student at College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Abdulaziz M. Eshaq

Abdulaziz M. Eshaq is a fifth-year male medical student at College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Lynn Alkhatib

Lynn Alkhatib is a fifth-year female medical student at College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Judie Hoilat

Judie Hoilat is a fifth-year female medical student at College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Sana Kadan

Sana Kadan is a fifth-year female medical student at College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Mai Alshammari

Mai Alshammari is a fifth-year female medical student at College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Aya Farfour

Aya Farfour, MBBS, is a female medical graduate from College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Akef Obeidat

Akef Obeidat, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Anatomy and Medical Education, and the Vice Dean of Quality Assurance and Accreditation Office at the College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Khaled Alkattan

Khaled Alkattan, MD, FRCS, is a Professor and Senior Consultant of Thoracic Surgery; Vice President for Administration and Finance and Dean of College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.