Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) is currently one of the professions females have just dominated in many countries of the world. With fewer males choosing OBGYN there is failure to fill all the residency positions in Saudi Arabia. The objective of the study was to find out the perceptions and interests of final year male medical students in OBGYN.
This study was survey based cross sectional study on final year male medical students in King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAUHS), Riyadh Saudi Arabia in February 2016. The questionnaire was validated, and a Cronbach alfa reliability test was 0.778.
A total of 84 questionnaires were returned with 92 % response rate. 18% of all male medical students think OBGYN is a socially accepted specialty, and 32% think it is a boring specialty. Only 4 students (4.8%) were interested in OBGYN. Those interested perceived OBGYN as an advanced specialty (P= 0.036). Half of the students interested were married compared to only 5% marital status in those not interested in OBGYN (P=0.001). 88% of students who haven't in rotated in OBGYN think it is boring, while 52% of students who rotated in OBGYN don't think so (P=0.01).
The number of male medical students interested in OBGYN isn't increasing. In order to increase the number of obstetricians and gynecologists and improve health care, public awareness about the fact OBGYN needs male physicians should be raised.