Assessment of attitudes, knowledge, and factors associated with choosing psychiatry as a career among medical students at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah city

Background: Psychiatric disorders represent a global health concern that can progress to more complicated consequences, including suicide. These severe consequences can be prevented by administering appropriate treatment and early intervention. However, a significant shortage of psychiatric professionals has been found. Thus, in this study, we aimed to assess the attitudes, knowledge, and factors associated with choosing psychiatry as a career among medical students at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah city, Saudi Arabia.
Method: This online cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah city, Saudi Arabia. It included 289 medical students in their fourth to sixth years. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate the factors influencing students' choice of psychiatry as a career.
Results: The findings showed that 57.8% of the respondents were unlikely to choose psychiatry as a future career, whereas 42.2% considered specializing in psychiatry. Premedical factors that led to statistically significant associations included the portrayal of doctors/nurses in books, television, and social media and a personal/family history of a physical or mental illness. Flexible working, salary/pay, work/life balance, perception of competency, and job satisfaction were the important career aspects in choosing psychiatry.
Conclusion: Most students do not consider psychiatry a future career due to multiple factors. This finding suggests the need to improve educational programs.