Deciding upon a career within the medical field

Deciding upon a career within the medical field
Guntern, Sabine
IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to
cite from it. Please check the document version below.
Document Version
Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record
Publication date:
2016
Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database
Citation for published version (APA):
Guntern, S. (2016). Deciding upon a career within the medical field [Groningen]: University of Groningen
Copyright
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the
author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons).
Take-down policy
If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately
and investigate your claim.
Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the
number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum.
Download date: 15-01-2017
Deciding upon a career
within the medical field
Sabine Guntern
ISBN: 978-90-367-8441-2 (electronic version)
ISBN: 978-90-367-8442-9 (printed version)
Cover design: Meike Stöhr
Printed by: Gildeprint
Deciding upon a career within the medical field
PhD thesis
to obtain the degree of PhD at the
University of Groningen
on the authority of the
Rector Magnificus Prof. E. Sterken
and in accordance with
the decision by the College of Deans.
This thesis will be defended in public on
Monday 18 January 2016 at 16.15 hours.
by
Sabine Guntern
born on 21 April 1975
in Visp, Switzerland
Acknowledgement
First and foremost, I would like to express my deep appreciation and gratitude to
Greetje van der Werf. Thank you very much for accepting me in your research group and
for sharing your extensive knowledge with me. Many times I was amazed about your
detailed feedback that helped me to further improve my thesis. Thank you also for believing
in me and for encouraging me to follow my way. I enjoyed working with you a lot!
Special thanks also go to Hanke Korpershoek for helping me to develop my research
ideas, for carefully proof-reading my manuscripts and for patiently correcting them. Your
timely and comprehensive feedback helped me to accomplish the research goals. Thank you
very much for being a source of motivation and a valuable guide throughout my
dissertation.
Besides my advisors, I would like to thank the assessment committee (Prof. dr. H. P. J.
M. Dekkers, Prof. dr. A. D. C. Jaarsma, Prof. dr. W. H. A. Hofman) for carefully reading
my thesis and providing me with helpful comments.
Many thanks also go Jessica Bakker for timely editing the texts. Sonja and Stefanie,
thanks a lot for your help and support in organizational issues.
Special thanks also go to Dorinde. Thank you very much for all your support in- and
outside university. You have been a very caring friend and made me feel welcome right
from the beginning. I appreciated your friendly and open way of communication very
much. It was great to share the room with you. Many thanks also go to Edwin for being an
attentive colleague, always there when needed. Besides many other things, the two of you
also supported me to find my way around the Dutch language and culture. Anneke, thank
you very much for your valuable input on scientific issues and especially also for your
encouraging words with regard to the defense. Rink and Henk, thank you very much for
your elaborate feedback that helped me to get the research papers published. Mayra, thank
you very much for your useful networking within the university. Thanks a lot Maaike for
all your helpful input and support at the end of my dissertation. Many thanks also go to my
other colleagues from GION who helped me at different stages with their input to complete
the dissertation.
Jasperina, thank you for sharing your experiences with me and for your humor. Last but
not least, my sincere gratitude goes to Theo for providing the right advice at the right time
and for being a good friend.
An dieser Stelle möchte ich mich auch bei meinen Freunden in der Schweiz für all ihre
Unterstützung, für ihre aufmunternden Worte und ihr Vertrauen in meine Entscheidungen
bedanken. Besonderer Dank gebührt Stefan für seine Hilfe beim Erstellen des SelfAssessments. Ein herzliches Dankeschön geht auch an Simone. Du warst mir in den
unterschiedlichsten Situationen eine grosse Stütze während meiner Dissertation.
Diese Arbeit wäre jedoch nicht möglich gewesen ohne die Unterstützung und das
bedingungslose Vertrauen meiner Eltern. Ganz herzlichen Dank, dass ihr immer für mich
da wart. Liebe Meike, du hast ganz wesentlichen Anteil am Gelingen dieser Arbeit. Du hast
unermüdlich an mich geglaubt und mich tatkräftig unterstützt. Dafür gibt es keine
angemessenen Worte. Ganz einfach: merci vielmals für alles!
Table of contents
CHAPTER 1
11
INTRODUCTION
Research Background ............................................................................................ 12
The Value of Non‐Cognitive Factors in Medical Studies ...................................... 15
Research Topics .................................................................................................... 18
Holland’s Theory of Vocational Choice ................................................................ 20
Aims of This Thesis .............................................................................................. 21
Outline of This Thesis ........................................................................................... 23
CHAPTER 2
25
PROFILING THE CAREER CONCEPTIONS OF MEDICAL APPLICANTS: THEIR STUDY
CHOICE CERTAINTY AND ASPIRED WORK ENVIRONMENT
Abstract ...................................................................................................................... 26
Introduction and Problem Statement ......................................................................... 27
Holland’s Theory of Vocational Choice ................................................................ 29
Personality Traits Within the Theory of Holland .................................................. 30
Aims of the Present Study ..................................................................................... 31
Method ....................................................................................................................... 32
Participants ............................................................................................................ 32
Measures................................................................................................................ 33
Data Analyses ........................................................................................................ 34
Results ........................................................................................................................ 35
Descriptive Results ................................................................................................ 35
Latent Class Analysis ............................................................................................ 37
Associations Between the Four Cluster Solution and Career‐Conception‐Related
Variables................................................................................................................ 40
Discussion .................................................................................................................. 42
Implications ........................................................................................................... 43
Limitations and Future Research ........................................................................... 45
Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 46
CHAPTER 3
47
MEDICAL APPLICANTS’ STUDY EXPECTATIONS: A COMPARISON WITH MEDICAL
STUDENTS’ ACTUAL STUDY EXPERIENCES
Abstract ...................................................................................................................... 48
Introduction and Problem Statement ......................................................................... 49
Expectations Linked to the Vocational Choice Theory of Holland ....................... 51
The Present Study .................................................................................................. 52
Method ....................................................................................................................... 53
Participants ............................................................................................................ 53
Questionnaire and Data Analyses .......................................................................... 54
Results ........................................................................................................................ 55
Discussion .................................................................................................................. 60
Practical Implications ............................................................................................ 63
Study Limitations .................................................................................................. 63
Future Research ..................................................................................................... 64
Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 65
CHAPTER 4
67
BENEFITS OF PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS AND SELF‐EFFICACY IN THE
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF MEDICAL STUDENTS
Abstract ...................................................................................................................... 68
Introduction and Problem Statement ......................................................................... 69
Personality Characteristics as Predictors of Academic Achievement ................... 70
Self‐Efficacy as Predictor of Academic Achievement .......................................... 71
The Present Study .................................................................................................. 71
Method ....................................................................................................................... 72
Participants ............................................................................................................ 72
Measuring Personality Characteristics and Self‐Efficacy...................................... 73
Measuring Prior Performance and Academic Achievement of Medical Students . 74
Control Variables .................................................................................................. 75
Data Analyses ........................................................................................................ 75
Results ........................................................................................................................ 76
Descriptive Results ................................................................................................ 76
Hierarchical Logistic Regression Analyses ........................................................... 77
Discussion .................................................................................................................. 79
Practical Implications ............................................................................................ 82
Limitations ............................................................................................................ 82
Further Research.................................................................................................... 84
Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 85
CHAPTER 5
PRESTIGE ADDED TO HOLLAND’S VOCATIONAL INTEREST SCALES FOR THE
PREDICTION OF MEDICAL STUDENTS’ ASPIRED WORK ENVIRONMENT
87
Abstract ...................................................................................................................... 88
Introduction and Problem Statement ......................................................................... 89
Person‐Environment Fit......................................................................................... 90
Prestige .................................................................................................................. 91
Description of Medical Specialties ........................................................................ 92
The Present Study .................................................................................................. 93
Method ....................................................................................................................... 95
Participants ............................................................................................................ 95
Measures................................................................................................................ 95
Data Analyses ........................................................................................................ 97
Results ........................................................................................................................ 97
Medical Students’ Vocational Interests ................................................................. 97
The Relation Between Students’ Interests and Their Aspired Work Environments
............................................................................................................................... 99
Discussion ................................................................................................................ 104
Practical Implications .......................................................................................... 106
Limitations and Future Research ......................................................................... 106
Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 107
CHAPTER 6
109
SUMMARY, GENERAL CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION
Introduction and General Problem Statement...................................................... 110
Summary of the Main Findings ........................................................................... 113
General Conclusions and Discussion .................................................................. 115
Suggestions for Further Research and Implications for Theory Development .... 119
Implications for Practice...................................................................................... 123
NEDERLANDSE SAMENVATTING
127
Introductie en Algemene Probleemstelling ......................................................... 128
Samenvatting van de Resultaten .......................................................................... 129
REFERENCES
133