A cross-sectional study of career choice in obstetrics and gynecology and its influencing and discouraging factors among medical students in Eastern Saudi Arabia

Background According to the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) faces a growing gap between available residency positions and the number of applicants. Aim and objectives The aim of the study was to investigate the medical students career choice in OB/GYN specialty and to identify the factors that influence or discourage their interest in pursuing this speciality as a future career. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study invited 476 medical undergraduate students to complete an anonymous electronic survey that consisted of questions related to career intentions, opportunities, and attitudes of medical students toward OB/GYN and questions about factors that attract and discourage students from choosing OB/GYN as a career. We examined the statistical association between the categorical variables by using the Chi-square test. A binary logistic regression was performed to identify factors independently associated with increasing interest in OB/GYN. Results The results of the present study indicated that 154 (32.3%) students were interested in OB/GYN. Sixty-one (19.2%) female participants reported OB/GYN as their first choice, while only 11 (6.9%) male participants expressed OB/GYN as their first choice ( p < 0.01). The lack of interest is substantially higher among males (87.4%) than among females (57.8%). Interest increased with seniority, with interns showing the highest proportion selecting OB/GYN as their first choice (21.8%). Females perceived greater future opportunities in the specialty than males (40.7% vs. 27.7%, p = 0.02), and perceptions improved with academic seniority, with interns reporting the highest perceived opportunities (51.5%). In binary logistic regression, gender, university, and GPA were independently associated with interest. Male students had lower odds of interest compared with females (OR = 0.17, p < 0.01), and students from King Faisal University were less likely to be interested than those from Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (OR = 0.38, p = 0.01). GPA was a significant predictor: compared with students with a GPA of 4.51–5.00, those with a GPA < 1.5 (OR = 8.93, p = 0.01) and a GPA of 3.51–4.50 (OR = 1.94, p = 0.02) had higher odds of interest, while other GPA categories were not significant. Exposure-related factors, including OB/GYN rotations, faculty interaction, encouragement, and role models, were more frequently reported as attractive by females, whereas patient preference for female physicians, cultural expectations, stress, and anticipated impact on family life were prominent discouraging factors for males. Conclusion Female medical students demonstrated greater interest in OB/GYN than males. Gender, academic performance, and institutional context were independently associated with career preference. Addressing modifiable barriers—particularly clinical exposure, mentorship, and cultural perceptions—may help reduce gender disparities and improve recruitment into OB/GYN.