SPECIALTY SELECTIONS OF JEFFERSON MEDICAL-COLLEGE STUDENTS - A CONJOINT-ANALYSIS

This study employed a consumer research technique-conjoint analysis-to assess the relative importance of several factors in the selection of a specialty by fourth-year medical students. The study was undertaken in light of a decline in the number of medical students entering prim ary care residencies. One hundred four students responded to a questio nnaire involving six factors: national need for physicians, personal i nterest, yearly income, hours worked per week, availability of loan re payment, and level of debt. Personal interest accounted for 54% of tot al variation in preferences. Expected income was second in importance overall, but depended on its combination with other factors. Debt, hou rs worked, availability of loan repayment, and physician supply togeth er accounted for 29% of total variation. Specialty selection by medica l students is clearly a complex process, and conjoint analysis can be an important addition to the multiplicity of methods applied to its in vestigation.