High School Predictors of a Career in Medicine

Abstract

While there is no dearth of high school students who are interested in becoming physicians, racial/ethnic disparities still exist in the medical profession. This retrospective cohort study examined the influences on students’ desire, at the end of high school, for a medical career, and, in particular, how these influences differed by race/ethnicity. Multiple logistic regression models were used to predict students’ medical career intentions at the end of high school. Interest in a medical career at the beginning of high school strongly predicted interest in a medical career at the end of high school. Authors found almost no racial/ethnic differences in interest in medicine, after controlling for other predictors. The exception was elevated medical career interest amongst Asians. Furthermore, Black and Hispanic students who wanted to become physicians tended to have high intrinsic motivations, but low science performance. Limited proficiency in science may impede Black and Hispanic students’ further progress through the medical pipeline.