Evaluation of Factors Affecting the Motivation to Choose a Specialty by Medical Students and Specialists of TeMS.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran: AHP Approach

Abstract

Background: Choosing a career or specialty is a crucial step in a medical student's life. It is a difficult yet important decision that is hard to change once you enter a residency program. Objectives: To evaluate and prioritize the factors influencing the motivation of medical students and medical specialists of TeMS.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran, in choosing a medical specialty using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Methods: This study involved 20 specialists and 30 medical students of TeMS.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran, in 2023-2024. Using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP), it evaluated 27 medical specialties based on economic factors (salary, job market), psychosocial factors (interest, job security), and managerial-organizational factors (work environment, educational opportunities). Results: Among economic factors, salary ranked highest; among psychosocial factors, interest had the highest priority; and among managerial-organizational factors, workload and work environment were the most significant. Based on these criteria, medical specialties were ranked from best to worst. Ophthalmology and radiology had the highest scores (0.069), while social medicine, sports medicine, and forensic medicine had the lowest scores (0.014). Conclusions: According to our study results and previous research, economic factors such as salary, psychosocial factors such as interest, and managerial-organizational factors such as work environment and workload play a significant role in specialty choice and motivation among specialists.