Career aspirations of specialty among medical students in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis of data from two decades, 2000–2021

Abstract

To determine the distribution of career aspirations for the discipline of specialty among undergraduate medical students in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE Google Scholar and Google for studies published between 1 January 2000 and 31 June 2021. Two reviewers extracted data from eligible studies, with disagreements resolved through consensus with a third reviewer. The random effects model was used to pool proportions, presented with the corresponding 95% CI. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochrane’s (Q) test but quantified with I2 values. Sources of heterogeneity were checked using meta-regression analysis while publication bias was assessed using funnel plot and Egger’s test.