Medical Staff

Why residents choose internal medicine

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, October 6, 2009

What factors drive residents to pursue internal medicine? Family time is the biggest reason, especially  for women, according to a new study, “Internal medicine resident self-report of factors associated with career decisions,” published in the August issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic also found that residents’ amount of debt influence their decisions–those who owe more than $150,000 are more likely to choose internal medicine.

Residents are least influenced by mentorship. The study recommends that residency programs implement effective mentoring programs, as mentoring may be an important element to increasing interest in internal medicine among residents.

Most Popular

Related Articles