Articles

Decision to pursue a profession in obstetrics and gynaecology: a career choice and practice challenges

ABSTRACT

Objective. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing undergraduate medical students’ decisions to pursue or reject ObGyn as a career, focusing on personality traits, educational environment, and gender disparities.

Materials and Methods. A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted among fourth, fifth-, and sixth-year medical students and interns at Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from May to July 2023. A structured, validated questionnaire assessed specialty preferences, personality traits (Kamel’s OCEAN Test), educational environment (DREEM), and clinical placement (MCPI). Statistical analysis included Chi-square and t-tests, with p < 0.05 considered significant.

Results. ObGyn was selected by 44 females (38.9%) and only 4 males (7.5%) (p = 0.00023). Key attractors for females included private sector opportunities (100%), emotional satisfaction (74.3%), and female-oriented environments (74.3%). Males were drawn by a limited syllabus (75.5%) and practical surgical exposure (47.2%) but deterred by gender discrimination (92.5%) and patient perception (92.5%). Personality analysis revealed females had significantly higher mean scores in conscientiousness (32.6 vs. 21.0), extroversion (29.0 vs. 18.3), and agreeableness (29.2 vs 18.1) (p < 0.0001). Educational environment scores (DREEM) were higher for females in learning (85.4% vs 79.2%), academic self-perception (90.6% vs 87.5%), and social perception (85.7% vs 71.4%) (all p < 0.05).

Conclusions. Obstetrics and Gynaecology was predominantly selected by female students due to private sector opportunities, emotional satisfaction, and supportive learning environments. Male students were largely discouraged by gender discrimination and patient perceptions despite valuing surgical exposure. Addressing these gender-based barriers is essential to encourage broader participation and achieve a more balanced ObGyn workforce.

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