Svenska medicinstudenters tankar inför läkarexamen. Allmänmedicin och barn- och ungdomsmedicin lockar mest

In January 2005 all last-term medical students in Sweden were asked to complete a questionnaire about their future career. They were asked what three medical specialties they would like to work in after graduating, what specialty they would have chosen at the time of completing the questionnaire and if they would combine future clinical work with research and teaching. Information was obtained from 69 % of the students. The two medical specialties chosen by most students were general practice (17 %) and paediatrics (16 %). Significantly higher proportions of students wanting to work in these two specialties stated that they would also have chosen them, although most students (62 %) were uncertain about their choice regardless of specialty or gender. More than one third of the students (42 %) wished to combine future clinical work with research and teaching - an option however found to be far less popular among students preferring general practice to other specialties.