Article # 1
Title :
Influence of Medical Student Age and Experience on Clinical Rotations and Specialty Choice
Authors :
Brendan Campbell , School of Medicine , The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Jill Krapf Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , University of Texas Health Science Center
Rosalyn Jurjus Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology , The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Keywords :
Clinical rotations ; life experience ; non-traditional students ; speciality choice ; undergraduate medical education ; work experience
DOI :
Influence of Medical Student Age and Experience on Clinical Rotations and Specialty Choice
Abstract
Background : Historically , most medical students began medical school right after completing their undergraduate degree . However , over the past 4 years , the average age of medical student matriculation was 24 years . Many students are taking a few years to pursue other opportunities before entering medical school , which has been shown to help in the transition to the clinical years of medical school .
Methods : An anonymous online quantitative survey was sent from June 2017 through March 2018 to medical students enrolled in clinical rotations at four large medical schools representing different regions of the US . In this study , students 25 years or older were considered nontraditional , while students under the age of 25 were considered traditional . Survey questions were adapted from a qualitative study on the experiences of mature-aged medical students .
Results : A total of 195 medical students responded to the survey , which was about a 14 % participation rate . The average age upon entering medical school was 24.1 years . Compared with traditional students , nontraditional students indicated that life experience ( p < 0.001 ), previous work experience ( p < 0.001 ), and age ( p < 0.001 ) had a stronger impact on their clinical rotations . Additionally , nontraditional students reported a stronger influence of work experience ( p < 0.004 ) and age ( p < 0.001 ) on specialty choice than traditional-aged students .
Conclusion : These findings support the idea that nontraditional students gain valuable experience from the time between obtaining their undergraduate degree and starting medical school , which is a significant factor in determining specialty choice and residency locations .
Introduction
Prospective physicians in the United States traditionally complete 4 years of undergraduate study , applying to medical school during this time , and start medical school soon after college graduation . As a result , many students begin their medical studies
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