What Matters Most: Determinants Associated with the Selection of Medical Residencies in Qatar

Purpose: There have been several studies into medical student career decision making in occidental countries (eg US, UK), but medical career selection in a Middle Eastern context has not been as well studied. This study aims to explore determinants underpinning medical students’ residency choice in Qatar.
Patients and methods: During the Fall semester of the 2022– 2023 academic year, all (n=358) medical students from the College of Medicine at Qatar University were invited to participate in an online explorative questionnaire about students’ career choices and the factors determining their selection.
Results: Of the 358 students, 184 responded (51%). Respondents had a mean age of 20 years; the majority were female (73.9%), Qatari (54.3%), unmarried (97.3%), and enrolled in a pre-clerkship year (55.0%). The most important career determinant was specialty-specific factors. The relative importance of other determinants differed by gender and stage of training. Among our respondents, male students were more likely to rate role models and influencers as being important to their choice, while female students and Qatari students overall were more likely to cite societal obligation. Medical students in Qatar seemed to have career preferences in mind upon entry into medical education. Later-year students were more likely to identify the importance of work-life balance and place of practice, but were less likely to rank prestige and income as an important determinant.
Conclusion: The results of this baseline study suggest that socioeconomic and cultural context influence medical student career decisions.

Keywords: career choice, specialty selection, medical students, medical education, residency, Qatar