Autistic Traits, STEM, and Medicine: Autism Spectrum Quotient Scores Predict Medical Students’ Career Specialty Preferences
dc.contributor.author | Turner, Emma | |
dc.contributor.author | Aitken, Emma | |
dc.contributor.author | Richards, Gareth | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2022-01-07T16:48:36Z | |
dc.date.available | 2022-01-07T16:48:36Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2021-10 | |
dc.identifier.issn | 2158-2440 | |
dc.identifier.other | 10.1177_21582440211050389 | |
dc.identifier.uri | https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/332353 | |
dc.description.abstract | <jats:p> There is a higher than chance representation of autistic people and people with elevated autistic traits in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) industries. Medical students, despite studying a STEM subject, have lower autistic traits than other STEM students. Medicine is heterogenous, covering technique-oriented specialties (e.g., surgery) with little patient interaction, person-oriented specialties (e.g., pediatrics), and general practice. We present an online survey in which 502 UK university students (medicine, n = 344; STEM, n = 94; non-STEM, n = 64) reported their study area and career aspirations and completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), a quantitative self-report measure of autistic traits. Our main findings were that medical students had significantly lower AQ scores than other STEM ( p < .001, d = 0.614) and non-STEM students ( p < .001, d = 0.874), and that medical students aiming to pursue technique-focused career paths had significantly higher AQ scores than medical students aiming to pursue person-oriented career paths ( p = .009, d = 0.318). Each of these effects remained statistically significant after adjusting for alpha inflation. The findings of this study corroborate those of previous research reporting a link between autism and STEM; they also provide evidence that autistic traits are a predictor of medical students’ career ambitions, with those students with high AQ scores being more likely to pursue technique-focused (as opposed to person-focused) roles. This may be informative for developing and optimizing the strengths of individuals with differing levels of autistic traits. </jats:p> | |
dc.language | en | |
dc.publisher | SAGE Publications | |
dc.subject | autism | |
dc.subject | autistic traits | |
dc.subject | STEM | |
dc.subject | medicine | |
dc.subject | medical education | |
dc.title | Autistic Traits, STEM, and Medicine: Autism Spectrum Quotient Scores Predict Medical Students’ Career Specialty Preferences | |
dc.type | Article | |
dc.date.updated | 2022-01-07T16:48:35Z | |
prism.issueIdentifier | 4 | |
prism.publicationName | SAGE Open | |
prism.volume | 11 | |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.17863/CAM.79799 | |
rioxxterms.versionofrecord | 10.1177/21582440211050389 | |
rioxxterms.version | VoR | |
rioxxterms.licenseref.uri | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | |
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate | 2021-12-23 | |
dc.contributor.orcid | Richards, Gareth [0000-0003-0233-0153] | |
dc.identifier.eissn | 2158-2440 | |
cam.issuedOnline | 2021-12-23 | |
rioxxterms.freetoread.startdate | 2021-12-23 | |
rioxxterms.freetoread.startdate | 2021-12-23 |
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