The Attractive and Deterring Factors for Medical Students Towards Pathology as a Specialty in Saudi Arabia.

Purpose: This study aims to assess the level of interest in pathology among medical students in Saudi Arabia and identify factors influencing their decision to pursue pathology as a career.

Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted across multiple universities in Saudi Arabia, including Umm Al Qura University, King Faisal University, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Jazan University, and King Khalid University. Data was collected from medical students at different academic levels, including first-year students through interns using an online questionnaire via Google Forms. Responses were cleaned in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: A total of 612 valid responses were received, with an almost equal distribution of male (49.8%) and female (50.2%) participants. Overall, 45.3% of students expressed interest in pathology, while 54.7% were not interested. Female students (52.1%) showed a greater interest compared to males (38.4%). The most influential factors attracting students to pathology included lifestyle (37.4%), research opportunities (35.9%), and fewer on-call duties (33.2%). The most common deterring factors reported by those interested in pathology was the perceived challenge of the discipline (56.9%), other career interests (41.5%), and limited job opportunities (35.3%).

Conclusion: Several factors influence medical students' decisions regarding pathology as a career choice. Notably, female students demonstrated a higher level of interest in pathology than their male counterparts. Future studies should explore strategies to enhance the visibility and appeal of pathology, such as increasing early exposure to the field within the medical curriculum.