Entrepreneurial Intention of Medical Students in Malaysia: Does Socio-Demographic Profile Matter?

Abstract

Introduction: Though there are abundant studies on entrepreneurial intention among students pursuing higher education, there is a lacuna in understanding the entrepreneurial intention of medical students. In the present scenario of increasing unemployment among young medical graduates, this quantitative study was conducted with an aim to examine the level of entrepreneurial intention among medical students and the socio-demographic factors influencing it. Methods: The participants were 318 medical students of a private university in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study design with a validated adapted questionnaire was used to collect data. The data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: A moderately high level of entrepreneurial intention was found among the study population. Regression analysis revealed a statistically significant impact of gender and marital status on their entrepreneurial intention while ethnicity, year of study, household income or educational loan did not have a significant influence. Conclusion: Medical students in Malaysia showed a moderately high inclination towards an entrepreneurial career. Non-economic factors like gender and marital status proved to be stronger influencers of entrepreneurial intention than economic factors. This may help policy makers plan strategies to sustain their entrepreneurial intentions and facilitate for more entrepreneurial activities among young doctors in the future.

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