Motivational profile and professional expectations in first-year medical students

Abstract

The choice of a university career is decisive; especially in medicine as it implies a great personal commitment. This work seeks to identify the motivations that lead to choosing a career in medicine and the expectations of professional development.

A quantitative research was carried out, with a descriptive and transversal design. First-year students were asked to complete an anonymous survey on Google Forms about their motivations for choosing medicine, concerns, and future specializations. The responses were analyzed with InfoStat.

Of the 363 respondents, 71.6% were female, 27.8% male, and 0.6% preferred not to say so. 28.7% finished high school the previous year, and 54.5% passed the entrance exam after several attempts. 70% moved to study, mainly from the interior of Córdoba. 11.3% are currently working, and 17% of those who do not work need to do so to finance their studies. 65.9% have at least one parent with a university degree. 50.4% wanted to be a doctor since childhood, 19.8% chose the career because of its relevance. 79.1% selected UNC because of its prestige and 12% because of the free tuition, a common option among those who need to work. Among the threats to their studies, 40.5% mentioned problems with their studies, such as difficulty in content and workload. 26.7% did not perceive any threats. 26.4% mentioned the economic situation, especially among those who work or finished high school more than three years ago. Regarding their place of work, 39.1% have not decided yet. Among those who have, 37.1% preferred abroad and 33.9% their city of origin, the most common option among people of Cordoba. Students interested in science and those from Cuyo and Patagonia preferred doing it abroad. Students preferred to work in highly complex hospitals (78.5%) instead of neighborhood health centers. Interest in general medicine, pediatrics, intensive care and plastic surgery was investigated. The option "Fairly likely" predominated in general medicine, and "Very unlikely" in the others.

Understanding student motivations and expectations is crucial to improving academic support and institutional strategies.