Academic and career factors in the choice of post-secondary education program of medicine, engineering or business administration

To identify the academic and career-related factors significant in the choice of a career in medicine, engineering or business at the post-secondary level. The study was a cross sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire with the study variables, academic factors: academic performance, cost of program, duration of program, location of academy and transportation to academy and career factors: job opportunity, security, salary, social respect, working conditions, and work stress. A total of 403 students enrolled in the post-secondary education programs of medicine [135], engineering or business [134 each], at two universities in Ajman participated in the study. The questionnaire asked the participants about the influences in their choice into their respective program. Data were analyzed with predictive analytic software version 18.0. Frequencies, percentages, Chi-square test for association and logistic regression were used for drawing inferences. Around 30% of business students were older than 22 years, and 15% among engineering and medicine students. Business students had 77% females and the others 66%. The academic factors found significant in choosing medicine were academic performance and location of institute, for business the location of institute and for engineering none. Majority of business students perceived career-related factors as most influential: job opportunity [70%], security [51%], salary [55%] and social respect [55%]. The response rate was similar for engineering, but to a lower extent [54%, 40%, 41%, and 49%]. Social respect and job security topped for medicine [45%] along with academic performance [40%]. The factors that influenced business students, identified by adjusted odds ratio, were academic performance, the location of institution and the availability of opportunities. The academic factors found to be significant in this study can be used to assist in career programs in providing guidance to choose a career

Choice of career in medicine in the United Arab Emirates: socially driven?

This research aimed at identifying familial and non-familial social factors that influence the post-secondary students to choose a career in medicine, with special reference to parental factors. The cross sectional survey was conducted among students in the first three years of medical studies in the Emirates of Ajman. After obtaining verbal consent, the participants completed a pilot tested, self-administered questionnaire which included socio-demographic variables and social factors related to career choice. Among the 135 participants; two thirds were females and 87.3% below 23 years of age. The parents were mostly South Asians with education at university level or above; 80% had professional training; 48% were into business and 12% in medical field; among mothers 61.4% were professionally trained, and 61.6% engaged in unskilled labor. The majority of medical students perceived their parents to have had strong influence on career choice of medicine, X[2]=5.231 [father] and X[2]=13.83 [mother], which also depended on closeness with them. Among non-familial factors, "friends" was the only significant social factor, with a crude odds ratio 0.55 and adjusted odds ratio 0.38. Parents and friends had influenced the post-secondary career choice. Therefore career guidance and counseling should consider raising awareness among them on careers