ROLE MODELS PERCEPTIONS OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON STUDENTSSPECIALTY CHOICES

Purpose. To examine the perceptions of faculty role models to learn wh ether their perceptions of role models' behaviors are congruent with t hose of their students. Method. In 1996 a survey was mailed to 210 stu dent-identified faculty role models at the University of Washington Sc hool of Medicine and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill S chool of Medicine. The nominees were asked to rate to what extent each of 32 student-identified role model characteristics was representativ e of their behavior. They were then asked to rank order the characteri stics they felt were most important to model for students. The role mo dels were also asked to rate how much influence they perceived themsel ves to have on their students' specialty choices. A final, open-ended question inquired about the single characteristics they modeled to stu dents that most influenced the students' specialty choices. The role m odels' specialties were grouped as either primary care (PC) or non-pri mary care (NPC). Data were analyzed with several statistical methods. Results. Of the 210 mailed surveys, a total of 177 were returned, for a response rate of 84%. The role models perceived their behaviors much like their students did; the role models' sell-ratings were generally high for all of the student-defined characteristics. Although clinica l reasoning was considered the most important characteristic to model for students, the role models also believed that enthusiasm and love f or their work were the characteristics that most influenced their stud ents' specialty choices. Few differences were found between the PC and the NPC role models. Conclusion. The role models in this study agreed with their students about what is important to model. They did not in tentionally try to recruit students to join their specialities but fel t that demonstrating enthusiasm and a sincere love for what they did h as a strong influence toward this end.