Evaluation of factors that impact medical student consideration of a career in otolaryngology

Objective: To identify differences in timing of exposure and demographic characteristics between medical students who did and did not consider Otolaryngology as a career choice.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved developing and distributing a survey by an interdisciplinary team to assess exposure to Otolaryngology and individual consideration of pursuing Otolaryngology. The survey was administered electronically to third- and fourth-year medical students at a single medical school, with a small monetary incentive for completion. Descriptive statistics, Fisher's exact tests, and logistic regression models were used for analysis.

Results: A total of 172 survey responses were collected out of 374 third- and fourth-year medical students (46%). A total of 74 (43.0%) respondents considered Otolaryngology during medical school. Exposure to Otolaryngology prior to medical school was significantly associated with choosing Otolaryngology (71.4%) compared to those who lacked exposure (28.6%) (p = .048). There was no significant gender difference among students who considered Otolaryngology (p = .537). However, our results showed significant differences between those who considered Otolaryngology by race (p = .003). Black/African American (OR = 0.11, 95% CI 0.01-0.99; p = .049) and Hispanic or Latino (OR = 0.14, 95% CI 0.03-0.65; p = .012) were less likely to consider Otolaryngology when compared to those identifying as White when adjusted for exposure prior to medical school.

Conclusions: Our results showed that early exposure and demographic background impact a student's decision to consider Otolaryngology as a career. These findings highlight the need for robust recruitment initiatives. Avenues like pipeline and mentorship programs are recommended to recruit and attract diverse applicants to Otolaryngology.

Level of evidence: 3.