Motivational Factors Influencing the Choice of Medical Studies and Future Career Plans among Montenegrin Students

One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the academic motivation scores between students by study year and age_

Scale	Study Year		Age
	F	Overall p-value	F	Overall p-value
Intrinsic motivation (IM)	0.721	0.608	1.113	0.331
IM to know	0.508	0.770	0.274	0.761
IM towards accomplishment	1.562	0.172	2.345	0.098
IM to experience stimulation	0.256	0.936	1.047	0.353
Extrinsic motivation (EM)	1.499	0.192	0.608	0.545
EM external regulation	3.463	0.005	2.918	0.056
EM introjected regulation	1.425	0.217	0.710	0.493
EM identified regulation	1.459	0.205	0.246	0.782
Amotivation	2.298	0.053	2.947	0.057
*Autonomous motivation	0.760	0.580	1.010	0.366
**Controlled motivation	1.269	0.279	0.889	0.413

The mean value, standard deviation and ranking of all 28 items of the Academic Motivation Scale_

Scale	Statements	mean±SD	Ranking according to the mean value
Intrinsic motivation to know	2. Because I experience pleasure and satisfaction while learning new things.	5.76±1.41	9
	9. For the pleasure I experience when I discover new things never seen before.	5.84±1.42	7
	16. For the pleasure that I experience in broadening my knowledge about subjects which appeal to me.	5.89±1.29	5
	23. Because my studies allow me to continue to learn about many things that interest me.	5.88±1.32	6
Intrinsic motivation towards accomplishment	6. For the pleasure I experience while surpassing myself in my studies.	4.90±1.79	18
	13. For the pleasure that I experience while I am surpassing myself in one of my personal accomplishments.	5.55±1.61	10
	20. For the satisfaction I feel when I am in the process of accomplishing difficult academic activities.	4.42±1.94	22
	27. Because college allows me to experience a personal satisfaction in my quest for excellence in my studies.	5.37±1.63	14
Intrinsic motivation to experience stimulation	4. For the intense feelings I experience when I am communicating my own ideas to others.	5.28±1.57	16
	11. For the pleasure that I experience when I read interesting authors.	5.39±1.73	12
	18. For the pleasure that I experience when I feel completely absorbed by what certain authors have written.	4.59±1.88	20
	25. For the “high” feeling that I experience while reading about various interesting subjects.	5.37±1.59	13
Extrinsic motivation: external regulation	1. Because with only a high-school degree I would not find a high-paying job later on.	4.37±2.22	23
	8. In order to obtain a more prestigious job later on.	5.54±1.66	11
	15. Because I want to have “the good life” later on.	5.78±1.57	8
	22. In order to have a better salary later on.	5.36±1.70	15
Extrinsic motivation: introjected regulation	7. To prove to myself that I am capable of completing my college degree.	4.55±2.12	21
	14. Because of the fact that when I succeed in college, I feel important.	4.73±1.98	19
	21. To show myself that I am an intelligent person.	4.12±1.94	24
	28. Because I want to show myself that I can succeed in my studies.	5.23±1.79	17
External motivation: identified regulation	3. Because I think that a college education will help me better prepare for the career I have chosen.	6.40±1.05	1
	10. Because eventually it will enable me to enter the job market in a field that I like.	6.15±1.33	2
	17. Because this will help me make a better choice regarding my career orientation.	6.11±1.16	3
	24. Because I believe that a few additional years of education will improve my competence as a worker.	6.04±1.32	4
Amotivation	5. Honestly, I don’t know; I really feel that I am wasting my time in school.	1.76±1.38	26
	12. I once had good reasons for going to college; however, now I wonder whether I should continue.	2.49±1.95	25
	19. I can’t see why I go to college and frankly, I couldn’t care less.	1.56±1.29	28
	26. I don’t know; I can’t understand what I am doing in school.	1.61±1.50	27

Difference in academic motivation scores between students by gender, and between students who have a medical doctor among their family members vs_ those who do not_

Scale		Gender			Family members as medical doctors
	Total (n=210) mean±SD	Male (n=58) mean±SD	Female (n=152) mean±SD	p-value	Yes (n=91) mean±SD	No (n=119) mean±SD	p-value
Intrinsic motivation (IM)	5.35±1.19	5.40±1.20	5.33±1.19	0.702	5.34±1.18	5.36±1.20	0.865
IM to know	5.84±1.13	5.86±1.06	5.83±1.16	0.786	5.83±1.12	5.85±1.15	0.928
IM towards accomplishment	5.06±1.40	5.12±1.46	5.03±1.39	0.687	5.04±1.31	5.07±1.48	0.906
IM to experience stimulation	5.16±1.35	5.21±1.34	5.13±1.35	0.714	5.13±1.43	5.18±1.29	0.801
Extrinsic motivation (EM)	5.37±1.06	5.17±1.10	5.44±1.04	0.105	5.54±0.91	5.23±1.15	0.031
EM external regulation	5.26±1.45	5.14±1.63	5.31±1.38	0.457	5.52±1.23	5.06±1.57	0.018
EM introjected regulation	4.66±1.61	4.37±1.60	4.77±1.60	0.103	4.85±1.45	4.52±1.71	0.134
EM identified regulation	6.18±0.94	6.01±0.99	6.24±0.91	0.122	6.25±0.79	6.12±1.04	0.295
Amotivation	1.86±1.29	1.89±1.44	1.84±1.24	0.825	1.89±1.26	1.83±1.32	0.738
*Autonomous motivation	5.56±1.04	5.55±1.09	5.56±1.02	0.985	5.56±1.00	5.55±1.07	0.935
**Controlled motivation	4.96±1.32	4.75±1.38	5.04±1.29	0.162	5.19±1.16	4.79±1.42	0.027

Comparison of sociodemographic characteristics and professional plans by gender_

	Male n (%)	Female n (%)	Total n (%)	*p-value
Year of study	58 (27.62)	152 (72.38)	210 (100.00)	0.284
1st	18	50	68 (32.38)
2nd	6	27	33 (15.71)
3rd	7	16	23 (10.95)
4th	6	21	27 (12.86)
5th	11	27	38 (18.10)
6th	10	11	21 (10.00)
Age (years)				0.683
19–20	21	65	86 (40.95)
21–23	23	53	76 (36.19)
24 and more	14	34	48 (22.86)
Most influential person in the choice to study medicine				0.349
Self	47	133	180 (85.71)
Parent(s)	6	13	19 (9.05)
Other	5	6	11 (5.24)
Family members as medical doctors				1.000
No	33	86	119 (56.67)
Yes	25	66	91 (43.33)
Father and/or mother	12	17	29 (13.81)
Grandfather and/or grandmother	5	10	15 (7.14)
Brother and/or sister	7	8	15 (7.14)
Other	10	43	53 (25.24)
Preferred sector of work				0.397
Public in Montenegro	29	91	120 (57.14)
Private in Montenegro	7	18	25 (11.90)
Other country	9	25	34 (16.19)
Other plans	2	2	4 (1.90)
Do not know	11	16	27 (12.87)
Preferred setting of work				0.396
Clinical Centre of Montenegro	32	69	101 (48.10)
Hospital	4	16	20 (9.52)
Outpatient clinic	1	16	17 (8.10)
Private practice	9	23	32 (15.24)
Medical faculty	2	6	8 (3.81)
Other	5	14	19 (9.05)
Do not know	5	8	13 (6.18)
Preferred professional plan				0.657
Surgical specialty	16	28	44 (20.95)
Non-surgical specialty	14	48	62 (29.53)
Family medicine	1	3	4 (1.90)
Research work	4	11	15 (7.14)
Preclinical specialty	1	6	7 (3.33)
Other	14	42	56 (26.67)
Do not know	8	14	22 (10.48)
Preferred specialization				0.079
Dermatovenerology	2	5	7 (3.33)
Public health	1	2	3 (1.43)
Gynaecology/Obstetrics	2	10	12 (5.71)
Surgery	8	15	23 (10.95)
Internal medicine	10	19	29 (13.81)
Neurosurgery	3	3	6 (2.86)
Neurology	3	8	11 (5.24)
Ophthalmology	0	13	13 (6.19)
Orthopaedics	3	0	3 (1.43)
Otorhinolaryngology	2	2	4 (1.90)
Paediatrics	2	16	18 (8.58)
Family medicine	0	2	2 (0.95)
Psychiatry	2	2	4 (1.90)
Radiology	4	5	9 (4.29)
Forensic medicine	2	6	8 (3.81)
Other	14	44	58 (27.62)