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We surveyed Australian adolescents and parents to test differences and congruence in perceptions of adolescent career development tasks (career planning, exploration, certainty, and world-of-work knowledge) and vocational identity. We found that, for adolescents (N = 415), career development tasks (not career exploration) explained 48% of the variance in vocational identity; for parents (N = 415), this was 38% (not world-of-work knowledge). Parent perceptions of career development tasks did not explain additional variance in adolescent vocational identity. There were moderate correlations between adolescent and parent perceptions of career development tasks and vocational identity, suggesting meaningful, but not substantial, congruence of perceptions. The findings provide useful insights into the understanding of, and relationship between, parent and adolescent perceptions of adolescent career development tasks and vocational identity, which suggest avenues for interventions with adolescents and parents.

Medical trainees are at risk of psychological distress due to training workload demands. Dropping out of medicine has hidden and real costs to both the public and the individual. Using quantitative and qualitative methodologies, this study assessed differences in stress and coping strategies between those serious and not serious about dropping out of medicine. A total of 854 medical students and junior doctors completed a web-based survey assessing training stress, problem-solving coping, seeking support coping, avoidance coping, and risky behaviour coping. Those serious about dropping out of medicine were high on training stress, avoidance coping, and risky behaviour coping. Specifically, males were high on risky behaviour coping, and doctors were high on avoidance coping. Reasons for contemplating dropping out of medicine were professional fit, workload, work--life balance, and the medical education training system. Identification of at-risk groups can inform efforts to design and deliver wellness interventions for medical trainees.

We surveyed 355 junior doctors (first 4 years of post-university training; 69% female, mean age = 28 years) from multiple hospital and practice locations and used an online questionnaire to assess their training-related demands (academic stress, concern about training debt, and hours worked), academic burnout, and personal resources (operationalized as career calling). We tested whether training-related demands were associated with academic burnout and whether career calling moderated the association between the demands and burnout. The demands accounted for approximately one third of the variance in burnout, with all accounting for significant, unique variance. In the context of the demands, career calling was not a significant predictor, but it moderated the association between academic stress and burnout. The study identified additional ways that junior doctors can be assisted to manage these first few years of medical training after graduating from medical school.

Junior doctors are at risk of work-related burnout and mental health problems due to training workload demands and responsibilities. This study investigated the predictors of work-related burnout and depressive symptoms in junior doctors. Participants were 349 Australian doctors in postgraduate years 1-4, who completed a web-based survey assessing emotional labour (surface and deep acting), training stress, work-related burnout, and depressive symptoms. We tested a model in which surface acting and training stress were associated positively with work-related burnout, where deep acting was associated negatively with work-related burnout, where work-related burnout was associated positively with depressive symptoms, and where work-related burnout mediated the relationship between emotional labour, training stress, and depressive symptoms. Surface acting and training stress were associated with work-related burnout and depressive symptoms in the expected directions, deep acting and work-related burnout were associated with depressive symptoms, and work-related burnout fully mediated the relationships between training stress, surface acting and depressive symptoms. The results suggest that assisting junior doctors to manage workload demands and patient contact will have beneficial effects on their work enthusiasm and mental health.

The demands placed on medical trainees by the different specialty training programs are important considerations when choosing a medical specialty. To understand these demands, 193 junior doctors completed a web-based survey, and: (a) ranked medical specialties according to perceived level of training difficulty (incorporating entry difficulty, course difficulty, and length of training); (b) nominated their preferred medical specialty; and (c) completed a measure of medical values. To validate the hierarchical ranking of training programs, we tested the association between the difficulty ranking of doctors' own preferred medical specialty and medical values. Ophthalmology, surgery, dermatology, anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine were ranked as the most difficult specialties, and general practice, public health medicine, occupational medicine, medical administration, and rehabilitation medicine as the least difficult. Higher training difficulty specialties were seen as more prestigious and intellectually demanding, whereas lower training difficulty specialties were seen as consistent with lifestyle and service values. Having a hierarchical ranking of perceived difficulty level of medical specialty training programs will assist students and junior doctors when making career decisions, and assist medical workforce planners, educators, and the specialist colleges to formulate strategies to attract potential applicants to fields of medicine where workforce shortages exist. (Contains 3 tables.)

The authors conducted two studies to develop and test a short form of the 60-item Physician Values in Practice Scale (PVIPS). The PVIPS, which draws on the theory of work adjustment for its theoretical base, measures personal values specific to medical occupations. In Study 1, 217 first- and final-year medical students completed a Web-based survey. Item analysis and exploratory factor analysis reduced the original PVIPS 60 items to 30. Validity was tested by examining the interfactor correlations among and between the 60-item and 30-item subscales and by examining bivariate correlations with gender and personality. In Study 2, a second sample of 316 first-year medical students responded to the 30-item shortened form. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed 6 subscales measuring the same core values of prestige, service, autonomy, lifestyle, management, and scholarly pursuits that were assessed by the original 60-item version. (Contains 4 tables.)

This study used social cognitive career theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994), as a framework to investigate predictors of career choice actions, operationalised as career planning and career exploration. The model was tested cross-sectionally and longitudinally with 631 high school students enrolled in Grades 10-12. Students completed measures of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, goals, supports and personality. Results of the hierarchical regression analyses indicated strong support for self-efficacy and goals predicting career planning and exploration across all grades at T1, and predicting change in career planning and exploration from T1 to T2. Whilst support for pathways among other predictor variables (personality, contextual influences and biographic variables) to choice actions was found, these pathways varied across grades at T1, and also from T1 to T2. Implications for social cognitive career theory, career counselling practice and future research are discussed. (Contains 4 tables.)

This study reports on the career intentions of 179 final year medical students who completed an online survey that included measures of personality, values, professional and lifestyle expectations, and well-being. Logistic regression analyses identified the determinants of preferred medical specialty, practice location and hours of work. Understanding the expectations and values of this generation of doctors will assist workforce planners to address expected shortages and mal-distribution of practitioners.

Social cognitive career theory served as the basis for the instrument development for scales assessing self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goals to predict medical career choice. Lent and Brown's conceptualization of social cognitive constructs guided the development of items to measure choice of medical specialty and practice location. Study 1 involved four stages: identification of attitudes and beliefs, generation of scale items, evaluation of scale items by experts, and a pilot study. The pilot study tested the item pool with 293 medical students and allowed item and exploratory factor analyses. Study 2 administered the scales to a second sample of 499 medical students. Confirmatory factor analysis assessed consistency and validity, and identified six psychometrically sound instruments. Initial validity for the scales was found encouraging, with further testing of these measures expected to support their use. Implications for use in research are discussed. (Contains 5 tables.)

Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) recognises the importance of individual differences and contextual influences in the career decision-making process. In extending the SCCT choice model, this study tested the role of personality, social supports, and the SCCT variables of self-efficacy, outcome expectations and goals in explaining the career readiness actions of career planning and exploration. The authors surveyed 414 Australian high school students in Years 10, 11 and 12. Career exploration was associated with goals and social supports, whereas career planning was associated with self-efficacy, goals, personality and an interaction term for goals and social support that indicated that levels of planning were highest when social support and goals were highest. Implications for parents, teachers and guidance counsellors as well as recommendations for future research directions are discussed. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)

A mental fitness program taught goal setting, critical thinking, creativity, positive attitudes, learning, memory, and self-expression to adults over 50 (n=22). Pre/posttests of depression and cognition revealed significant impacts on mental fitness, cognitive confidence, goal setting, optimism, creativity, flexibility, and memory. Not significant were impacts on risk taking and ability to do new things. (Contains 17 references.) (SK)

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.06.027 Byline: Peter A. Creed (a), Judy Searle (b), Mary E. Rogers (a) Abstract: In the context of doctor shortages and mal-distributions in many Western countries, prestige and lifestyle friendliness have emerged as significant factors for medical students when they choose a medical specialty. In this study, we surveyed two samples of Australian medical students and had them rank 19 medical specialties for prestige (N = 530) and lifestyle friendliness (N = 644). The prestige rankings were generally consistent with previous ratings by physicians, lay people and advanced medical students, with surgery, internal, and intensive care medicine ranking the highest, and public health, occupational, and non-specialist hospital medicine ranking lowest. This suggests that medical students have incorporated prevailing prestige perceptions of practicing doctors and the community. Lifestyle rankings were markedly different from prestige rankings, where dermatology, general practice, and public health medicine were ranked the most lifestyle friendly, and surgery, obstetrics/gynaecology and intensive care were ranked least friendly. Student lifestyle rankings differed from physician and author-generated rankings, indicating that student preferences should be considered rather than relying on ratings created by others. Few differences were found for gender or year of study, signifying perceptions of prestige and lifestyle friendliness were consistent across the students sampled. Having access to and understanding these rankings will assist career counsellors to aid student and junior doctor decision-making and aid workforce planners to address gaps in medical specialty health services. Author Affiliation: (a) School of Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Qld 4222, Australia (b) Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

This research reports on the 4-phase development of the 25-item Five-Factor Model Adolescent Personality Questionnaire (FFM-APQ). The purpose was to develop and determine initial evidence for validity of a brief adolescent personality inventory using a vocabulary that could be understood by adolescents up to 18 years old. Phase 1 (N = 48) consisted of item generation and expert (N = 5) review of items; Phase 2 (N = 179) involved item analyses; in Phase 3 (N = 496) exploratory factor analysis assessed the underlying structure; in Phase 4 (N = 405) confirmatory factor analyses resulted in a 25-item inventory with 5 subscales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale–Short Form (CDSE-SF) is one of the most frequently used instruments to assess individual levels of career-related self-efficacy. This study used the partial credit model within the framework of item response theory to examine the content, structural, substantive, and generalizability aspects of validity for the CDSE-SF in a sample of 534 Australian high school students aged between 14 and 19 years. The results showed clear evidence of multidimensionality for the CDSE-SF. Furthermore, there was strong support for the content, structural, and substantive aspects of validity when using the five subscales individually. The evidence of measurement invariance was found across grade levels; however, there were individual items that exhibited differential item functioning across gender, achievement level, and age-groups. The implications for career counseling and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social cognitive career theory served as the basis for the instrument development for scales assessing self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goals to predict medical career choice. Lent and Brown's conceptualization of social cognitive constructs guided the development of items to measure choice of medical specialty and practice location. Study 1 involved four stages: identification of attitudes and beliefs, generation of scale items, evaluation of scale items by experts, and a pilot study. The pilot study tested the item pool with 293 medical students and allowed item and exploratory factor analyses. Study 2 administered the scales to a second sample of 499 medical students. Confirmatory factor analysis assessed consistency and validity, and identified six psychometrically sound instruments. Initial validity for the scales was found encouraging, with further testing of these measures expected to support their use. Implications for use in research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Australian Government initiatives promote rural training placements, supported medical school places, and incentives that attract doctors to areas of need. The purpose of this study was to report on the preparedness of medical students and junior doctors to commit to working in areas of workforce shortage., Methods: Medical students and junior doctors across all Australian states and territories completed a web-based survey assessing career attitudes and intentions. Participants were asked to indicate their level of preparedness to commit to working in an area of need., Results: Completed surveys were received from 760 medical students and 264 junior doctors. A substantial proportion of this sample were prepared to make some form of commitment to providing medical services in a rural area. The greatest proportion (38.3%) was prepared to make a small commitment equal to an irregular locum service of 1 week or 1 month per year., Conclusion: Government policies and incentives may be having an effect on medical students' and junior doctors' preparedness to work in rural and remote areas. Medical educators should encourage students and junior doctors to take up short-term placements/opportunities and to maintain links with rural communities. Practice opportunities that offer varying lengths of commitment should be advertised widely so junior doctors are aware of them and can apply.