Resumo Estudantes de medicina possuem diferentes opções de trajetórias acadêmicas ou profissionais após a graduação. Este estudo busca determinar as preferências de carreira entre graduandos de medicina e os fatores que contribuem para tal decisão. Pesquisa descritiva e transversal foi realizada com graduandos de medicina da Afe Babalola University, localizada em Ekiti State, Nigéria. Dados foram coletados por um questionário bem estruturado e analisados usando SPSS versão 21.0. A estatística descritiva inclui tabelas de frequência, gráficos, médias e desvios padrão. Um total de 100 graduandos participaram do estudo, dos quais 29 (29,0%) homens e 71 (71,0%) mulheres, com relação homem/mulher de 0,4 para 1. A faixa etária dos participantes foi de 21 a 30 anos, com média (±SD) de 23,5 (±1,4). Do total de participantes, 72% planejavam ingressar na pós-graduação após a faculdade de medicina, a maioria no Reino Unido, sendo o mestrado em Saúde Pública a qualificação de maior interesse. Da mesma forma, 76% dos entrevistados planejavam buscar uma bolsa de pós-graduação após a faculdade, também em sua maioria no Reino Unido. A especialidade mais procurada é Obstetrícia e Ginecologia (43%), seguida por Cirurgia (40%), Medicina de Família (34%), Medicina Comunitária (33%), Pediatria (25%) e Medicina Interna (23%), enquanto a especialidade menos procurada é Patologia Química (28%), seguida por Microbiologia Médica (27%) e Anatomia Mórbida (24%). O principal fator considerado para esta escolha é o interesse pessoal pela especialidade, seguido por perspectivas financeiras, estilo de vida confortável e horário de trabalho flexível. Mestrado em Saúde Pública e especialização em Obstetrícia e Ginecologia são as carreiras mais buscadas por graduandos de medicina, escolha majoritariamente pautada em seus interesses pessoais. graduação decisão University State Nigéria 210 0 21.0 frequência gráficos padrão 10 2 29,0% 290 (29,0% 7 71,0% 710 (71,0% mulheres homemmulher homem mulher 04 4 0, 1 3 anos ±SD SD (±SD 235 23 5 23, ±1,4. 14 ±1,4 . (±1,4) 72 pósgraduação pós Unido forma 76 43%, 43 43% , (43%) 40%, 40 40% (40%) 34%, 34 34% (34%) 33%, 33 33% (33%) 25% 25 (25% 23%, 23% (23%) 28%, 28 28% (28%) 27% 27 (27% 24%. 24 24% (24%) financeiras flexível pessoais 21. 29,0 (29,0 71,0 (71,0 ±1, (±1,4 (43% (40% (34% (33% (25 (23% (28% (27 (24% 29, (29, 71, (71, ±1 (±1, (43 (40 (34 (33 (2 (23 (28 (24 (29 (71 ± (±1 (4 (3 ( (7 (±
Abstract Medical students have many different options of academic and professional undertakings after graduation. The aim of this study is to determine the career preferences of students in their final year of medical school and to determine the factors that contributed for such decision. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study involving the final-year medical students of Afe Babalola University, Ekiti State, Nigeria. A well-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0. Descriptive statistics included frequency tables, charts, means and standard deviations. A total number of 100 final-year medical students participated in the study, out of which 29 (29.0%) were males and 71 (71.0%) were females, with a male to female ratio of 0.4 to 1. The age range of the respondents was 21 to 30 years, with a mean(±SD) of 23.5(±1.4). 72% of the respondents planned to pursue a postgraduate academic qualification after graduating from medical school, mostly in the United Kingdom, and a Master of Public Health was the most sought qualification. Similarly, 76% of the respondents planned to pursue a postgraduate medical fellowship after medical school, also mostly in the United Kingdom. The specialty most sought-after is Obstetrics and Gynaecology (43%), followed by Surgery (40%), Family Medicine (34%), Community Medicine (33%), Paediatrics (25%), and Internal Medicine (23%) while the least sought-after specialty is Chemical pathology (28%), followed by Medical Microbiology (27%) and Morbid Anatomy (24%). The most important factor considered by the respondents in choosing a particular specialty is their personal interest in that specialty, followed by financial prospects, comfortable lifestyle, and flexible working hours. Master of Public Health degree and postgraduate fellowship in Obstetrics and Gynaecology specialty are the career preferences for most of the final-year medical students in this study, and this is largely informed by their personal interest in these fields. graduation decision crosssectional cross sectional finalyear University State Nigeria wellstructured well structured collection SPSS (SPSS 210 0 21.0 tables charts deviations 10 2 29.0% 290 (29.0% 7 71.0% 710 (71.0% females 04 4 0. 1 3 years mean±SD meanSD mean ±SD SD mean(±SD 23.5±1.4. 23514 23.5 ±1.4 . 23 5 23.5(±1.4) 72 Kingdom Similarly 76 soughtafter 43%, 43 43% , (43%) 40%, 40 40% (40%) 34%, 34 34% (34%) 33%, 33 33% (33%) 25%, 25 25% (25%) 23% (23% 28%, 28 28% (28%) 27% 27 (27% 24%. 24 24% (24%) prospects lifestyle hours fields 21. 29.0 (29.0 71.0 (71.0 23.5±1.4 2351 235 23. 14 ±1. 23.5(±1.4 (43% (40% (34% (33% (25% (23 (28% (27 (24% 29. (29. 71. (71. 23.5±1. ±1 23.5(±1. (43 (40 (34 (33 (25 (2 (28 (24 (29 (71 23.5±1 ± 23.5(±1 (4 (3 ( (7 23.5± 23.5(± 23.5(