Doctors' Choice of Medical Specialty, Differences Among Schema Theory

In previous studies, the relationship between career choice and psychological factors has been discussed many times. On the other hand, we have less information about interaction between early maladaptive schemas and career choice. We planned to evaluate the specialty preferences of doctors in the perspective of schema theory. Doctors from the 2 to 10 years of their careers were included in the study. A Sociodemographic data form and Young Schema Questionnaire - Short Form 3 was applied to 275 participants; 167 clinical specialties and 108 surgical specialties. According to our results surgeons scored higher in emotional deprivation, mistrust / abuse, social isolation / alienation, defectiveness / shame, and emotional inhibition. As schema domains, surgeons scored higher disconnection and rejection and excessive responsibility and standards. Early maladaptive schemas can affect the choice of profession and the ability to adapt. Understanding early maladaptive schemas can play a role both in orientation towards the right career choice and in resolving negative factors related to the work environment.