Introduction:

The specialty choice is an important decision for medical students, according to studies there are differences between men and women when they decide their future specialties, in the present study was analyzed the specialty choice in medical students in the Universidad de Oriente and its relationship with gender and the perception of quality of life offered by each one.

Subjects and methods:

Trough a questionnaire, 120 students were surveyed about their gender, preference of medical specialty, and the specialties they think have the best and worst quality of life.

Results:

Pediatrics (15%), general surgery (13%) and plastic surgery (11%) were the most chosen. Women's preferred pediatrics (19%) and obstetrics-gynecology (13%) meanwhile men's preferred plastic surgery (19%), and orthopedics (16%). As representatives of a better quality of life were chosen dermatology (19%) and anesthesiology(10%), in the case of worst quality of life were general surgery (17%) and obstetrics-gynecology(15%).

Conclusions:

Women's preferred clinical specialties meanwhile men's had a marked preference on surgical ones. Quality of life doesn't appeared to have a relevant impact in the specialty choice, so it should be deepen in the study of other factors.

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