The Influence of Standardized Residency Training on Trainees’ Willingness to Become a Doctor: A Comparison between Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine

A standardized residency training program (SRT) was launched in Shanghai in 2010, for both Western Medicine (WM) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This study aimed to assess whether the program impacted trainees’ willingness to become a doctor and whether the program had different effects among WM and TCM trainees. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 2114 trainees to assess their perceptions and satisfaction with the program and their willingness to become a doctor after the exposure to the program. The trainees’ characteristics were compared between WM and TCM specialties using X2 tests. The potential factors associated with trainees’ perception of the program and willingness to become a doctor after the exposure to the SRT program were assessed by multiple linear and logistic regression models. Compared to WM trainees (n = 1853), TCM trainees (n = 261) would be more likely to become doctors if there were no SRT program (p = 0.003). Both individual and program-wide (different specialties) factors contributed to trainees’ perception, overall satisfaction, and willingness. Only specialty played an independent role in the associations with all three outcome variables. Inequality of characteristics between TCM and WM trainees reduced TCM trainees’ willingness to become a doctor after the exposure to the SRT program.