Authors Naseem Dhedhi Baqai Medical University Faisal Ahmed Department of Family Medicine, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan Bushra Rabbani Department of Medicine, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan Kanwal Naz Department of Physiology, Dow Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan Muhammad Zulfiqar Hyder Naqvi Department of Community Medicine, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan Nadia Farooq Department of Dermatology, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan Abstract

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the reasons affecting career choice for post-graduation and decision of studying abroad among undergraduate students in a medical university of Karachi.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among students of 1stto 5th year MBBS program of  Baqai Medical University, Karachi from March 2022 to August 2022. A questionnaire was filled by students who voluntarily wished to participate. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21 was used for data analysis.  

Results: The most common clinical fields of choice for post-graduation of medical students were cardiothoracic surgery (14.3%), followed by general surgery (13.6%), whereas the most common non-clinical fields of choice were medical education (53.3%) followed by research (20.0%). A majority of students (54.5%) wished to pursue post-graduation abroad. Among those opting for staying in Pakistan, almost half of them wished to work in rural areas (n=69, 50.4%) and the remaining in urban areas (49.6%).

Conclusion: The most popular clinical fields of choice for post-graduation among medical students turned out to be cardiothoracic surgery whereas the non-clinical career switch was mostly towards medical education. Moreover, a majority of students wished to pursue their post-graduation abroad.

Key words: Career Choice, Specialty, Medical, Emigration, Students, Medical

Author Biographies Faisal Ahmed, Department of Family Medicine, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan

Head of department, department of Family Medicine, Baqai Medical University, Karachi

Bushra Rabbani, Department of Medicine, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan

Kanwal Naz, Department of Physiology, Dow Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan

Lecturer, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan

Muhammad Zulfiqar Hyder Naqvi, Department of Community Medicine, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan

Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan

Nadia Farooq, Department of Dermatology, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan

Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan

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