Disparities in attitudes toward field of study and future career among students at Yasuj University of medical sciences

Attitudes, shaped by cognitive and emotional factors, are fundamental constructs in social psychology that significantly influence academic and career success. These attitudes tend to evolve during the student years, a critical period for personal and professional development. Investigating students’ attitudes toward their academic fields and future careers offers valuable predictive insights into their future behavior. This study aimed to assess the attitudes of healthcare students at Yasuj University of Medical Sciences. In this cross-sectional study, 166 medical, dental, and paramedical students were surveyed using a validated 14-item questionnaire based on a 5-point Likert scale. Attitudes were classified into positive, neutral, and negative categories according to Bloom’s cut-off points. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Dental students demonstrated the highest mean attitude scores toward their fields (15.74 ± 2.68), followed by nurse anesthetist and medical students, while operating room students had the lowest scores (10.91 ± 2.46). Item-level analyses revealed that 81.5% of dental students believed the income in their field was suitable, compared to just 12.0% in laboratory sciences. Additionally, 48.1% of dental students reported confidence in their career future, while agreement fell to 18.5% in radiology and 12.0% in laboratory sciences. Only dentistry and nurse anesthetist students showed over 40% agreement with the statement that employment opportunities were adequate, with rates as low as 8.0% in laboratory sciences. Over 90% of paramedical students reported neutral or negative attitudes toward their future careers, with the highest rates in operating room and laboratory sciences (100%). By contrast, medical and dental students showed more favorable outlooks, with 19.69% and 29.62% reporting positive attitudes, respectively. Weak but statistically significant correlations were found between student attitudes and academic term and gender, while no significant associations were observed with other demographic factors. The findings reveal systemic challenges within healthcare education, particularly among paramedical students, where neutral and negative attitudes predominate. These trends underscore the urgent need for policy reforms, enhanced career counseling services, and strategic workforce planning to foster student engagement, reduce professional disillusionment, and mitigate the broader impacts on the healthcare system.