| Background: The exploration of specialty choices by medical students is a hot debate as it affects several important determinants of health care delivery. This study was carried out to determine variation in specialty preferences at the end of internship training and the perceptions that affect students' specialty choice. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed on 80 interns. It covered queries on specialty choices, and perceptions influencing specialty choices. Gender wise analysis of specialty choices was also carried out. Results: The most preferred specialty expressed by male students was radiodiagnosis, followed by orthopedics and paediatrics, while most preferred by female students were obstretics and gynaecology, followed by radiodiagnosis and paediatrics. Medical students emphasized factors like personal interest, advice from parents, anticipated income and job security, for making a choice in speciality. Conclusions: Radiodiagnosis, obstretics and gynaecology, pediatrics, orthopedics, internal medicine and pathology were the most preferred specialty choices. Gender preference was observed to affect choices of few specialties such as orthopedics and obstetrics and gynaecology. Personal interest, advice from parents and anticipated income, are important factors in career decision making in medical students at UP Rural Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Saifai. Perceptions which have an impact on specialty selection of male and female students may reflect a different tempo of growing up in males and females. This study may be helpful to medical educators and advisors who work with students on specialty decision-making. |