A Study of Prospective Ophthalmology Residents’ Career Perceptions

Scott JR, Gunderson CA. A study of prospective ophthalmology
residents’ career perceptions.

Med Educ Online [serial online] 2003;8:9. Available from
http://www.med-ed-online.org

The Critical Factors assessed by the survey
included

• Autonomy - amount of autonomy;

• Time - the amount of time applicant
expected to spend directly seeing and caring
for patient:

• Continuity - the degree of continuity of care
anticipated with patients;

• Routine/Diversity - extent to which similar
or different tasks are preferred;

• Family/Leisure - amount of time spent with
family or in leisure activities;

• Expertise - anticipated level of expertise
(i.e., general or sharply defined);

• Income - income level compared to other
specialties;

• Innovation - amount of innovation required;

• Intellectual - specific versus theoretical
problem solving approach preferred;

• Physician Interaction - amount of time
interacting with other physicians;

• Manual/Mechanical - extent to which
manual/mechanical activities are preferred;

• Pressure - amount of pressure anticipated
dealing with crises, scheduling conflicts, and
patient decisions;

• Responsibility - degree of responsibility
expected to assume;

• Schedule - regularity of work hours;

• Security - anticipated job security and
confidence in income;

•  End Results - extent to which work provides

opportunity to see end results;

• Status - rating of status compared to other
specialties;

• Computer/Technology - extent to which
computer based technologies will impact
work; and

• Family Influence - extent to which family
and personal values determine career
decisions.

Critical Factors were divided into four broad
categories: Career-oriented issues; Personal-family
issues; Financial issues; and Gender-related issues.
Career-oriented issues included time, continuity,
expertise, physician interaction, manual/mechanical,
pressure, schedule, end results, status, and
computer/technology. Personal-family issues
consisted of autonomy, routine/diversity,
family/leisure, innovation, intellectual, responsibility,
and family influence while Financial issues included
income and job security.

An initial e-mail survey was sent April 2002
with a second e-mail submission to non-responders
by June 2002. Responses by the residency candidates
(n= 42) were then compared to the responses of
practicing ophthalmologists (n = 56) who completed
the original instrument administered by the AMA.
Regrettably, no other data was available regarding
AMA practicing physician scores (e.g.,
demographics; practice patterns; etc.). A one-sample
t-test was used to compare means for critical factor

Table 1. Ethnicity Categories of Respondents (n= 42)

Ethnicity

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