Choosing a Career in Psychiatry: Factors Associated with a Career Interest in Psychiatry among Canadian Students on Entry to Medical School

Objective: To report the proportion of Canadian medical students interested in a career in psychiatry at medical school entry and to describe the unique demographics and career influences associated with this early interest. Methods: From 2001 to 2004, during the first 2 weeks of medical school, a 41–item survey of career choice, demographics, and attitudes toward various aspects of medical practice was distributed to all students in 18 classes at 8 Canadian medical schools. Associations between early career interest, demographics, and career influences were explored. Results: Of the 2096 completed surveys, 3.2% of students named psychiatry as their first career choice. While 34% of students considered psychiatry a possible career option, 54.9% stated that they had not considered this option. Students interested in psychiatry were more likely than other students to have an undergraduate education in the arts, to have close family or friends practicing medicine, and to have worked voluntarily with people with mental illness. Students interested in psychiatry had a lesser social orientation than students interested in family medicine but had a greater social orientation and lesser hospital orientation than students interested in other specialties. Conclusions: Enhanced psychiatric care may be aided by the selective recruitment into medical school of students with a demonstrated empathy toward people with mental illness, an educational background in the arts, and a strong social orientation. As career influences change throughout medical school, participants in this study will be re-surveyed at graduation to better understand the evolution of career choice decision-making throughout medical school.