Prescription for Doctors: An Interpretive Analysis of Messages Portrayed By Websites Targeting Potential Medical Students

Abstract

This study examined communication about medical professional career decisions as depicted by 10 popular websites. Qualitative research methods, phenomenology and hermeneutics, were used to investigate these messages. Findings revealed a differencebetween medical community authors and layperson authors. Authors associated with the medical field shared overall positive messaging while authors not associated with the medical field leaned toward a negative presentation of information. The divide was most prominent when the role of advising was introduced. Topics discussed in the research included making the choice to enter the medical profession, level of intelligence of medical students, personality traits, financial incentive, continued education,and life after graduation. The results of this study provide implications for future research for examining a possible connection between messages portrayed by popular search results and America‟s physician shortage. A detailed discussion of findings and suggestions for further research is presented. The author‟s own experience is incorporated into the analysis.