Socioeconomic Characteristics and Motivations for Entering a Medical College--Differences between Graduate and Undergraduate Saudi Medical Students

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the reasons for and the factors associated with deciding to enter a medical school in our graduate and undergraduate medical students and whether differ between the two groups. Method: This is a cross-sectional study. The survey we developed to investigate demographic and socioeconomic data and possible reasons for deciding to enter a medical school. The responses were scored using Likert scale 4-options. Results: A total of 244 of 275 male students responded (a response rate of 89%). Of the responders, 26% were graduate students and 74% were undergraduates. Thirty-nine percent of the students attended private schools. Compared to graduate students, undergraduate students were younger (p = 0.0001), more likely to have gone to a private high school (p = 0.001) to have a father who is a doctor (p = 0.001) or a university graduate (p = 0.001), to belong a household with a monthly income exceeding $5,333 (p = 0.001). Significantly more undergraduates than graduates reported that they were influenced to enter medical school by family (p = 0.036), having had high academic achievement at high school (p = 0.001), prestige of the profession (p=0.007), guaranteed employment (p = 0.013) and desire to help others (p = 0.003). Conclusions: The graduate medical students had significantly different demographic factors which were more reflective of in the general population as well as different motivating when compared to the undergraduate medical students.