The Journal of family practice
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Comparative Study
A multivariate model for specialty preference by medical students.
Numerous studies have demonstrated differences among students regarding their preference of a medical specialty. The goal of the present research was to develop a model for the selection of a primary care specialty (ie, family practice, general internal medicine, medicine/pediatrics, and general pediatrics). ⋯ No single factor dominates a student's preference for primary care. Students preferring primary care were most strongly influenced by their perceptions of practice variations. Students preferring nonprimary care specialties were more interested in income, prestige, and hospital-based practice. Medical school faculty had no significant impact on the preferences of either group of students.