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Table 1 Firmness of choice of doctors who expressed a first preference for each specialty group*

From: Early career choices and successful career progression in surgery in the UK: prospective cohort studies

  

Year after qualification and career choice

  

Year One

Year Three

Year Five

Group and response

Surgery

Other Hospital

General Practice

Surgery

Other Hospital

General Practice

Surgery

Other Hospital

General Practice

Percentages

Percentage who had made up their mind:

Men

Definitely

37

19

43

48

41

66

75

64

78

 

Probably

47

54

45

44

46

30

22

31

19

 

Not Really

16

27

12

8

14

4

3

5

2

 

Total

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

 

P-value1

-

<0.001

<0.001

-

<0.001

<0.001

-

<0.001

0.012

Women

Definitely

30

14

40

47

34

56

69

59

68

 

Probably

48

51

48

42

47

39

26

34

28

 

Not Really

22

34

12

11

19

5

5

7

4

 

Total

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

 

P-value1

-

<0.001

<0.001

-

<0.001

<0.001

-

<0.001

>0.05

Total

Definitely

35

17

41

48

38

61

73

61

73

 

Probably

47

53

47

44

46

35

23

32

24

 

Not Really

18

31

12

9

17

5

4

7

3

 

Total

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

 

P-value1

-

<0.001

<0.001

-

<0.001

<0.001

-

<0.001

>0.05

Denominators on which the percentages are based

Men

 

3831

6491

3319

2593

5473

3682

1753

4123

3142

Women

 

1344

7206

4251

771

5360

4298

457

3739

3400

Total

 

5175

13697

7590

3364

10833

7980

2210

7682

6542

  1. * Including tied first choices. Question asked: "Have you made up your mind about your choice of long-term career?" at year 1 to the 1974-2005 cohorts; at year 3 to the 1974-2002 cohorts; and to the 1974-1980 and 1993-2000 cohorts at year 5.
  2. 1 P-values, based on chi-squared tests for the column in which the p-value appears, comparing certainty of choice (definitely, probably, not really) of those choosing the surgical specialties with those choosing the other hospital specialties, and with those choosing general practice.
  3. Chi squared (χ2 2) tests were also conducted to compare the certainty of choice of men choosing surgery with that of women choosing surgery: men were more certain than women in year one 31.9, P < 0.001, year three 8.4, P = 0.015, year five 8.6, P = 0.013.