| Summary: | 碩士 === 慈濟大學 === 醫學研究所 === 94 === Background & Objective : In Taiwan, doctor is deemed as a highly respected profession with renowned academic association and financial security as well recognized all over the world. Unlike the US system, high school graduates here need to pass the university entrance test for college eligibility. While medical school has traditionally ranked the number one or the only choice among the list of college majors, medical students are acknowledged top performers at high schools or colleges, and most of them coming from a high socioeconomic family. However, do we select the right person to become doctors is the question long been raised by educational reformers?
Methods : A questionnaire is designed for quantitative analysis in this study. And the database is provided by Dr. Suchuan Yu , an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health at Tzu chi University , which a questionnaire is designed for quantitative analysis . She interviewed 209 medical students in 2002 which indicates 77.4 % of response rate. The purposes are (1) to understand the backgrounds of Taiwan medical students under the recent development of medical educational reform and economy recession, (2) to find out what motivate them to finish the training and become a doctor , (3) to explore the future career choice of medical students, and (4) to know the diversity of the students with different choosing reason. There also are two surveys for 90 students conducted by Dr. Yu in 2002, 2004. Which are designed for understanding the choosing reasons of medical students.
Results: Results from a total of 209 medical students composing of freshmen and inters are ：
1. The proportion of medical students coming from a high socioeconomic background is even higher than before: 58 % versus 47%.
2. 70% medical students choose doctors as their professional career not to fulfill wishes of their own but to satisfy expectations from parents and teachers. High socioeconomic status of a medical career is indicated as the reason of expectations.
3. High income of doctors is the most important factor that motivates medical students to become doctors. Self-interest ranks second, followed by willingness to resume special social responsibilities as doctors, and knowing more about medical training before entrance. However, motivation becomes less as medical students approaching their year of higher grade.
4. Those students entering medical school because of self-interest know more about medical school before entrance and are more willing to hold the special social responsibilities of doctors. They also can identify more role models around them.
Conclusions :The percentage of medical students from a high socioeconomic family is higher than twenty years ago . And in Taiwan, most medical students choosing medical profession are not for self-interest as before. High income of doctors , Self-interest , willingness to resume special social responsibilities as doctors, and knowing more about medical training before entrance can motivate medical students to become a doctor. But as more the years they live through medical school life, less motivation they have. So It is much more important to choose medical students with self-interest to medical profession instead of high achievement in high school.
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