Factors Influencing Students Choice for Medical Laboratory Science as a Profession: A Case of Students at Usmanu Danfodiyo University (Udu), Sokoto, North-Western Nigeria

Aim: To examine factors influencing students’ choice for medical laboratory sciences as a Profession: A case at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, North-Western Nigeria.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional qualitative study designed to examine factors influencing students’ choice for medical laboratory sciences as a Profession.

Place and Duration of Study: Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, North-Western Nigeria, between January and April, 2016.

Methods: A structured self-administered questionnaire was designed and distributed for this study. Informed consent was obtained from the students before handing them a 12-item questionnaire for self-administration. Five Hundred and Six (506) questionnaires were distributed to the students (from 100 level (first year of study in the university) to 500 level (fifth and final year of study in Medical Laboratory sciences Profession)), but only Four Hundred and Eighty-Three (483) were returned completed (response rate was 95.45%).

Results: Of the 483 students who participated in this study; 331(68.5%) were male and 152(31.5%) were female. Out of the 483, 192 (39.8%) considered patients benefits, 106 (21.9%) self-employment, 72 (14.9%) opportunity for advancement, 41 (8.5%) more job opportunity, 38 (7.9%) working conditions while 34 (7.0%) for Job satisfaction, as factors influencing students’ choice for medical laboratory sciences as a profession.

Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that patients’ benefits, self employment and availability of advancement opportunities are the most influential factors affecting career choices among students, while Job satisfaction was ranked last in consideration. The majority of the respondents perceived laboratory work as rewarding and challenging.