• Sao Paulo Med J · May 2004

    Surgery or general medicine--a study of the reasons underlying the choice of medical specialty.

    • Patrícia Lacerda Bellodi.
    • Hospital da Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
    • Sao Paulo Med J. 2004 May 6; 122 (3): 818681-6.

    ContextThe reality of medical services in Brazil points towards expansion and diversification of medical knowledge. However, there are few Brazilian studies on choosing a medical specialty.ObjectiveTo investigate and characterize the process of choosing the medical specialty among Brazilian resident doctors, with a comparison of the choice between general medicine and surgery.Type Of StudyStratified survey.SettingHospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (HC-FMUSP).MethodsA randomized sample of resident doctors in general medicine (30) and surgery (30) was interviewed. Data on sociodemographic characteristics and the moment, stability and reasons for the choice of specialty were obtained.ResultsThe moment of choice between the two specialties differed. Surgeons (30%) choose the specialty earlier, while general doctors decided progressively, mainly during the internship (43%). Most residents in both fields (73% general medicine, 70% surgery) said they had considered another specialty before the current choice. The main reasons for general doctors' choice were contact with patients (50%), intellectual activities (30%) and knowledge of the field (27%). For surgeons the main reasons were practical intervention (43%), manual activities (43%) and the results obtained (40%). Personality was important in the choice for 20% of general doctors and for 27% of surgeons.DiscussionThe reasons found for the choice between general medicine and surgery were consistent with the literature. The concepts of wanting to be a general doctor or a surgeon are similar throughout the world. Personality characteristics were an important influencing factor for all residents, without statistical difference between the specialties, as was lifestyle. Remuneration did not appear as a determinant.ConclusionThe results from this group of Brazilian resident doctors corroborated data on choosing a medical specialty from other countries with different social and educational characteristics. This congruence indicates that the choice involves very similar desires and needs in different settings and has little dependence on the students' educational context.

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