Sammanfattning
BACKGROUND: Many factors have a bearing on the choice of specialty and future job. We have investigated whether the topic for the mandatory special assignment during the study programme in medicine plays a role in recruitment to different disciplines and whether publication of the special assignment article provides an indication of later participation in research.
MATERIAL AND METHOD: All candidates who graduated in medicine from the 96, 97 and 98 cohorts at the University of Bergen, Norway were sent a questionnaire ten years later. Altogether 210 (53% of possible candidates) returned the completed questionnaire. The data were processed using the SPSS statistical programme.
RESULTS: The students who wrote a special assignment in the disciplines of internal medicine, psychiatry and laboratory sciences/pathology had a significantly higher probability of working within the same field compared with those who had not written a special assignment in these disciplines. The supervisor was the principle reason for the choice of special assignment. A total of 39 such assignments (19%) were published. The probability of the student with a PhD degree continuing a research career increased considerably if the special assignment was published.
INTERPRETATION: The special assignment may pay a role in the choice of future discipline and choice of research. It provides an opportunity to become familiar with the discipline, to become inspired by specialization and, not least, to establish contact with resource persons through the choice of supervisor. Based on this, we believe that it is appropriate to increase the scope of the special assignment as a mandatory component of the programme of study in medicine at Bergen.