Every third Kazakhstani medical student regrets the choice of education: A cross-sectional survey in Almaty

Abstract

Abstract

Background: Many physicians regret about their choice of profession. However, no studies on this topic have been performed in Central Asia.

Objective: To assess the proportion of medical students who regret their choice of education and to study factors associated with this outcome in Kazakhstan.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey and 2388 medical students of two medical universities in Almaty in 2011-2012 comprised the sample. Multiple logistic regression was applied to study associations between the outcome and associated factors.

Results: Altogether, 33.0% of the responders reported that they regret the choice of profession. The university, faculty, year of study, financing of the studies, place of residence, type of education obtained before entering the university, the reason for choosing the medical profession, how the student prepared him/herself for admission to the university, and opinions about tests for selecting future students and about the medical profession all influenced whether a medical students regretted his or her choice of profession.

Conclusions: The results suggest that one third of medical students in Almaty, Kazakhstan, regret the choice of medical education. The factors associated with the outcome identified in this study may be used to optimize the recruitment of students in the future. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2013;27(3):235-242]