Table 2

Percentage (and numbers) of respondents who specified Ophthalmology as their first, second or third choice of eventual career at one (1974–2002), three (1974–2000) and five (1974–1980, 1993 & 1996) years after graduation


Percentages (numbers) choosing Ophthalmology



Year One
Year Three
Year Five




Cohort
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total




1974
1.7 (24)
0.9 (5)
1.5 (29)
2.1 (22)
1.4 (6)
1.9 (28)
1.5 (19)
1.8 (9)
1.6 (28)
1977
2.8 (50)
2.1 (18)
2.6 (68)
1.7 (27)
1.7 (13)
1.7 (40)
1.8 (31)
1.4 (12)
1.7 (43)
1980
2.9 (53)
3.6 (36)
3.1 (89)
2.3 (42)
1.7 (17)
2.1 (59)
1.7 (29)
1.3 (13)
1.5 (42)
1983
3.3 (62)
1.8 (23)
2.7 (85)
2.5 (45)
1.1 (13)
1.9 (58)
N/A
N/A
N/A
1993
4.6 (60)
2.4 (32)
3.5 (92)
2.2 (31)
1.9 (26)
2.1 (57)
2.2 (29)
1.7 (23)
1.9 (52)
1996
3.0 (42)
2.4 (37)
2.7 (79)
1.8 (23)
1.7 (25)
1.8 (48)
2.1 (25)
1.1 (15)
1.6 (40)
1999
4.0 (46)
2.1 (33)
2.9 (79)
2.9 (32)
1.7 (24)
2.2 (56)
2.4 (28)
1.3 (19)
1.8 (47)
2000
4.2 (55)
2.0 (33)
3.0 (88)
3.4 (45)
1.9 (31)
2.6 (76)
2.6 (31)
1.3 (19)
1.8 (50)
2002
4.9 (53)
2.4 (41)
3.4 (94)
3.3 (35)
1.0 (17)
1.9 (52)
N/A
N/A
N/A

Total
3.4 (445)
2.3 (258)
2.9 (703)
2.4 (302)
1.6 (172)
2.0 (474)
2.0 (192)
1.4 (110)
1.7 (302)

Numbers of respondents were 13164 (Men), 11457 (Women) and 24621 (Total) in Year One; 12420 (Men), 11048 (Women) and 23468 (Total) in Year Three; 9561 (Men), 8128 (women) and 17689 (Total) in Year Five. Chi-square test for linear trend – year 1; men χ21 = 22.9 (p < 0.001); women χ21 = 0.04 (p = 0.84); total χ21 = 7.7 (p = 0.005) – year three; men 7.0 (p = 0.008); women 0.01 (p = 0.91); total 1.5 (p = 0.23) – year five; men 5.8 (p = 0.02); women 0.5 (p = 0.48); total 0.7 (p = 0.40).

Lambert et al. BMC Ophthalmology 2008 8:3   doi:10.1186/1471-2415-8-3