This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Sorlie, W. Articles by Essex-Sorlie, D. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Sorlie, W. Articles by Essex-Sorlie, D. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Specialty Selection

Relationship of Cognitive and Noncognitive Factors of Prematriculation and Undergraduate Medical Education

Diane Essex-Sorlie

University of Illinois, College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign

This investigation attempted to identify some of the cognitive and noncognitive factors that occur before and during undergraduate medical education and that appear to account, in part, for the selection of a medical specialty. A retrospective approach was used to study specialty selection among graduates of the University of Illinois College of Medicine. Students (n = 535) who received a doctorate of medicine degree in 1980, 1981, and 1982 and who selected residencies in internal medicine, pediatrics, family practice, obstetrics/gynecology, psychiatry, surgery, and anesthesiology-pathology-radiology were included in the investigation. It was noted that residency selection, for specific specialty groups, could be predicted at different points of time. Students who demonstrated the lowest levels of prematriculation achievement were those in obstetrical gynecology and pediatrics; highest levels of prematriculation achievement were recorded by those in psychiatry and anesthesiology-pathology-radiology. Highest levels of achievement during medical school were demonstrated by internists and surgeons; lowest by obstetricians/gynecologists and family practitioners. Further, specific patterns of noncognitive characteristics for each specialty group were found. Recommendations for practice and future research are made; implications for current admissions procedures are addressed.

Evaluation & the Health Professions, Vol. 8, No. 3, 267-298 (1985)
DOI: 10.1177/016327878500800302


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?