Secular Changes in Career Preferences Among Medical Students in Japan

Introduction: Career-related research is one of the important tasks in institutional research at medical schools. This study investigated changes in the career preferences of medical students in Japan per specialty and year to identify solutions to the maldistribution of medical specialties. Methods: The study recruited 873 medical students who were enrolled during academic years 2018–2023. The survey enabled multiple responses to their interests in 22 medical specialties. The survey covered seven periods from enrollment to graduation and investigated choice rates, changes (selection and shift), and trends in student choices. Results: Several specialties exhibited more than 5% difference in choice rate by period. Fifth-year students obtained a significantly higher change rate compared with those in other levels. Internal medicine, orthopedics, radiology, and plastic surgery displayed significantly higher rates for selection, while pediatrics produced higher rates for shift. Each student demonstrated a characteristic choice trend. Discussion: these results were consistent with previous studies on many comprehensive specialties except for surgery and also revealed that clinical clerkship is very important in their career choice. In conclusion, we found that establishing education designed based on an understanding of each student’s type as well as appropriate timing of education are crucial.