Preference of and factors that influence future specialty among medical students in Jordan: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Choosing future specialty is an important issue that face undergraduate medical students during their university years. Several factors may assist to formulate students' final decision. We aimed to explore the future specialty preferences and the factors that influence the choice of undergraduate students in medical schools in Jordan. METHODS: A cross sectional study conducted among the sixth year students of two medical schools in Jordan. A questionnaire was used to collect data from the students. It consisted of demographic data in form of gender, GPA, family income, and parents' level of education. In addition to data about preferred specialties, and factors that influence medical students' choice of future specialty. RESULTS: A total of 223 medical students from two medical schools were recruited to participate. Males were 49.3% while females were 50.7%, and around 22% scored an excellent GPA. Most parents of the students were bachelor degree holders (63.6% for fathers and 62.3% for mothers). Medicine (19.4%), dermatology (12.6%), and obstetrics and gynecology (11.7%) were the most chosen future specialties. Specialty appeal and thoughts of future creativity was the most chosen factor that influenced future specialty (55.2%) choice, followed by family time and less on-call duties (14.8%). Students who selected chances of fellowships as an influencing factor were more likely to prefer medicine as future specialties (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Medicine, dermatology, and obstetrics and gynecology were the most popular future specialty choices among undergraduate medical students. Most of our medical students claimed that selection of their specialty is based on the interest and potential creativity, family time and less on call duties. Further studies are required in a wide range to accommodate more students from the other academic years.

Periacetabular osteotomy and total hip arthroplasty in patients older than 40 years.

The objective of this study was to investigate quality of life (QOL) in patients with dysplasia who were older than 40 years and who underwent Bernese periacetabular osteotomy (PAO). Quality of life was compared among 28 patients who underwent PAO and 33 patients of the same age who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA). Outcome tools included the Western Ontario McMasters Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis Index and the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey. Seventy-three percent of PAO patients achieved a "very good" (75-100) outcome or a "good" (65-75) QOL score in pain dimension and 64% in function dimension at 4 years after operation. WOMAC pain (89 vs 71, P < .005) and function (90 vs 74, P < .005) scores were significantly better among THA patients (THA vs PAO). Although THA resulted in better QOL, osteotomy still provided excellent QOL outcome in a high percentage of patients older than 40 years. However, given the results of this study, in patients older than 40 years, periacetabular osteotomy should only be done in highly selected cases.