[Young Academics in Neuropsychological Disciplines: Factors Affecting Career Aspiration in Psychiatry, Neurology and Psychosomatic Medicine].

OBJECTIVE: Students with specialization preferences in psychiatry, neurology, or psychosomatic medicine were retrospectively compared with regard to aspects of motivation to choose medicine as their field of study.

METHODS: To identify early predictors of specialization preferences, a nationwide online survey was conducted with 9079 medical students. The statements of those with a preference for neurology, psychiatry, or psychosomatic medicine were evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA).

RESULTS: Prospective neurologists were motivated by scientific interest variables and less by the aspects of life management. On the other hand, students with preferences for one of the psychological disciplines reported comparatively higher degrees of desire to actively provide help and of the importance of their own medical history. There were no significant differences between future psychiatrists and psychosomatic professionals.

CONCLUSION: The reported motives point to thematic orientations that might be useful in the subject-specific acquisition of young academics.