OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of early specialization (defined here as concentrated dedication to a single specialty during undergraduate medical school) on the general skills of newly graduated doctors. SAMPLE AND METHODS: Applicants for Admission to Medical Residency Programs at the University of São Paulo who had recently finished the undergraduate medical course at the same institution (n=163), grouped by specialty of choice. The study focused on applicants' performance in admissions exams and their undergraduate grade point average. Intergroup analysis - Applicants for a specific career versus other applicants. Intra-group analysis - Performance in each respective field of knowledge versus mean performance in the other areas studied. Correlation coefficients - between each admissions exam, and between undergraduate GPA and exams. Significance level: p<0.05. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: There was a tendency towards early specialization in Obstetrics-Gynecology, Psychiatry, and Pediatrics, with a loss of performance in areas not directly related to the specialty choice. Applicants for the Residency Program in Internal Medicine showed overall higher grades on the residency admissions exam and undergraduate GPA, possibly due to a broader and more comprehensive interest in Medicine.
Educational measurement; Specialism; Education, medical, undergraduate; Internship and residency
