Perceptions of Medical Students Regarding Career Counseling in Korea: A Qualitative Study

Minsu Ock, Young-Joo Han, Eun Young Choi, Jeehee Pyo and Won Lee
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Minsu Ock: Department of Preventive Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan 44033, Korea
Young-Joo Han: Korea Counseling Graduate University, Seoul 06722, Korea
Eun Young Choi: Department of Preventive Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan 44033, Korea
Jeehee Pyo: Department of Preventive Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan 44033, Korea
Won Lee: Department of Nursing, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 10, 1-14

Abstract: Current medical school education focuses on acquiring appropriate knowledge with relatively little interest in developing the career selection skills of medical students. We investigated medical students’ perceptions of career problems and the required types of career counseling programs. Five focus group discussions were held with 23 medical students. The consensual qualitative study method was used to analyze the recorded discussion process. The medical students were more influenced by parents and grades than by subjective choices when deciding on admission to medical school. In future career choices, medical students considered the stability and feasibility of the career and expected quality of life. However, there were several opinions that it is essential to understand oneself. Objective and specific career information was lacking, and meeting with the professor was not very helpful for career counseling. Most medical students expected the effectiveness of the career counseling program but hoped the program would proceed with voluntary participation. Medical students wanted a variety of concrete and objective information, such as specialty information for choosing residency training, trainee hospital information, and post-residency training information in the career counseling program. Most medical students are not ready for career-related problems, therefore making it necessary to develop a career counseling program suitable for them.

Keywords: medical students; career counseling; consensual qualitative research; focus groups; education; medical; graduate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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