Determinants of Proclivity for Anaesthesia as a Career Among Medical Students in a Southwestern Nigeria Tertiary Institution
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Background: Nigeria faces a critical shortage of anaesthetists with only 0.113 per 100,000 population, exacerbated by consistently low selection rates for anaesthesia among medical graduates. This study investigated factors influencing medical students' interest in anaesthesia as a career choice. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 147 final-year and penultimate medical students at University College Hospital, Ibadan, using a structured self-administered online questionnaire. Data were collected in March 2025 and analysed using SPSS version 27. Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression were performed to identify associations. Results: Only 29.2% of students intending to specialise expressed interest in anaesthesia, with merely 9.2% ranking it as their first choice. The timing of interest development was significantly associated with clinical exposure; 65.8% developed interest during their anaesthesia posting, and 28.9% after the posting (p<0.001). Primary motivating factors included perceived lucrativeness (94.6%), personal interest (78.4%), and positive clinical rotation experiences (75.7%). Conversely, low personal interest (94.9%), lack of role models (39.0%), and negative clinical experiences (25.4%) were the main deterrents. Despite a good understanding of anesthesiologists' roles, 57.9% of interested students intended to practice outside Nigeria. Binary logistic regression revealed no statistically significant sociodemographic or academic predictors of interest in anaesthesia. Conclusion: Interest in anaesthesia among Nigerian medical students remains low but higher than previously reported in other regions. Clinical exposure during rotations plays a pivotal role in shaping career preferences, suggesting that enhanced undergraduate anaesthesia training programs and improved mentorship could help address the critical shortage of anaesthetists in Nigeria's healthcare system.
