Choice of Speciality among Medical Students at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, St. Augustine, UWI, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies

ABSTRACT

The School of Medicine at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies (FMS, UWI) graduates over 200 physicians yearly. Shortage of specialists exists; attributed by some, to the lack of opportunities. Challenges faced regarding medical specialization in Trinidad and Tobago (TT) are difficulties meeting the requirements of the available specialty programmes, lack of residency post and training in certain fields (1). Medical school is an opportune time to select a field as experience as a student and progression through the various years of medical school can influence choice (2,3). METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted by convenience sampling on 1278 medical students at the FMS, UWI using an online questionnaire. The distribution of specialist practitioners was abstracted from the online register of The Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago.