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<article xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" dtd-version="1.0" article-type="ophthalmology" lang="en">
<front>
<journal-meta>
<journal-id journal-id-type="publisher">JOHS</journal-id>
<journal-id journal-id-type="nlm-ta">Journ of Health Scien</journal-id>
<journal-title-group>
<journal-title>Journal of HealthCare Sciences</journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="pubmed">Journ of Health Scien</abbrev-journal-title>
</journal-title-group>
<issn pub-type="ppub">2231-2196</issn>
<issn pub-type="opub">0975-5241</issn>
<publisher>
<publisher-name>Radiance Research Academy</publisher-name>
</publisher>
</journal-meta>
<article-meta>
<article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">524</article-id>
<article-id pub-id-type="doi">http://dx.doi.org/10.52533/JOHS.2026.60304</article-id>
<article-id pub-id-type="doi-url"/>
<article-categories>
<subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
<subject>Ophthalmology</subject>
</subj-group>
</article-categories>
<title-group>
<article-title>Motivators and Barriers to Choosing Ophthalmology Among Saudi Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
</article-title>
</title-group>
<contrib-group>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname>Khathami</surname>
<given-names>Abdulmajeed Al</given-names>
</name>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname>Alharthi</surname>
<given-names>Nada Nawaf</given-names>
</name>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname>Alzahrani</surname>
<given-names>Raghad Mutir</given-names>
</name>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname>Alolyani</surname>
<given-names>Abdullah Nasir</given-names>
</name>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname>Alshehri</surname>
<given-names>Salem Ahmed Salem</given-names>
</name>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname>Alghamdi</surname>
<given-names>Khalid Ali</given-names>
</name>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname>Alharthi</surname>
<given-names>Shahad Mansour</given-names>
</name>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname>Ghamdi</surname>
<given-names>Ali Hendi Al</given-names>
</name>
</contrib>
</contrib-group>
<pub-date pub-type="ppub">
<day>31</day>
<month>03</month>
<year>2026</year>
</pub-date>
<volume>6</volume>
<issue>3</issue>
<fpage>247</fpage>
<lpage>260</lpage>
<permissions>
<copyright-statement>This article is copyright of Popeye Publishing, 2009</copyright-statement>
<copyright-year>2009</copyright-year>
<license license-type="open-access" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">
<license-p>This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) Licence. You may share and adapt the material, but must give appropriate credit to the source, provide a link to the licence, and indicate if changes were made.</license-p>
</license>
</permissions>
<abstract>
<p>
Background: Choosing a medical specialty is a critical milestone in medical education. Ophthalmology is a highly specialized field that combines microsurgical precision with the opportunity to significantly improve patients__ampersandsign#39; quality of life. In Saudi Arabia, increasing demand for eye care services under Vision 2030 and the rising burden of diabetes-related eye disease highlight the need for a sustainable ophthalmology workforce. However, factors influencing medical students__ampersandsign#39; interest in ophthalmology remain underexplored. This study aimed to identify motivators and barriers affecting Saudi medical students’ choice of ophthalmology as a future specialty.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students at Albaha University in Saudi Arabia, during the 2024-2025 academic year. Data was collected using a self-administered, web-based questionnaire. The survey assessed demographic characteristics, academic level, specialty preferences, timing of specialty decision, exposure to ophthalmology, and factors influencing career choice. A total of 299 students from the second year through the internship year participated. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of interest in ophthalmology.
Results: Among the 299 participants, 57.2% expressed interest in pursuing ophthalmology. Key motivating factors included personal interest, perceived lifestyle flexibility, and the opportunity to restore or improve vision. Major barriers included perceived residency competitiveness and the technical demands of the specialty. Early exposure to ophthalmology, particularly through clinical rotations and community service activities, was significantly associated with increased interest. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that academic level, timing of specialty decision, and exposure to ophthalmology were significant predictors of interest in the field.
Conclusions: Early and sustained exposure to ophthalmology during medical training is strongly associated with increased student interest in the specialty. Addressing barriers such as perceived competitiveness and misconceptions about the field may enhance recruitment into ophthalmology. Curriculum-based interventions, structured mentorship, and expanded clinical exposure may support informed specialty decision-making and contribute to workforce sustainability in Saudi Arabia.
</p>
</abstract>
<kwd-group>
<kwd>medical education</kwd>
<kwd> ophthalmology</kwd>
<kwd> career choice</kwd>
<kwd> Saudi Arabia</kwd>
<kwd> cross-sectional study </kwd>
</kwd-group>
</article-meta>
</front>
</article>