Purpose: Since 2011, the French medical students ranked after a national ranking exam (NRE) are making their career choice among 11 disciplines detailing the chosen one. Before 2011, this precise choice was unknown. Our work is the first descriptive study of French medical students choice of career after the NRE, precising the medical specialty chosen and the city of practical formation.
Methods: We analyzed the Excel(®) file transmitted by the 'Agence régionale de santé d'Aquitaine' once students choice done after the 2012 NRE. A median range analysis was made for disciplines and city formation choices. For medical and surgery specialties, the analysis was compared to regional medical densities.
Results: According to the median national choice, the first sixth disciplines chosen are ophthalmology, nephrology, internal medicine, radiology, cardiology and dermatology. Women are more attracted by medical gynecology, obstetrics, pediatrics, or dermatology; men mostly by neurosurgery, general surgery, nuclear medicine or cardiology. The most rated cities of formation according to their national median range of choice are Lyon, Montpellier and Paris. A majority of students (59 %) moved to another city to obtain the desired specialty. Among general practitioners, 56 % of students stayed in the city where they had been trained.
Perspectives: Our study may provide concrete objectives for French medical students accomplishing their second cycle of medical studies, as well as supplemental data for French medical demographic management.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.