Table 2

Variables associated with wanting a CAC versus having other plans or being undecided: statistically significant χ² tests

Variables	Groupings	Respondents wanting a CAC			χ² test
Variables	Groupings	%	n / N	Adjusted residuals*	df	χ²	p Value
Predoctoral involvement in medical research	No involvement	26	10/38	−3.0	2	22.193	0.0005
	Some involvement (intercalated degree or post(s) with research, possibly with other experience, or ‘other’ experience)†	46	95/205	−1.4
	High involvement level (intercalated degree and post(s) with research and possibly ‘other’ experience, too)†	73	45/62	4.1
Main reason for doctorate	Interest in my area of research	49	71/146	−0.4	2	25.515	0.0005
	Improving prospects for an academic/research career	61	82/134	3.5
	Other	15	6/39	−4.6
Influences on long-term career thinking:
Wanting intellectual stimulation‡	A great deal/A lot	55	157/284	5.4	1	29.640	0.0005
Wanting intellectual stimulation‡	A moderate amount/A little/Not at all	6	2/34	−5.4
Enthusiasm/commitment‡	A great deal/A lot	52	156/300	2.9	1	8.480	0.004
Enthusiasm/commitment‡	A moderate amount/A little/Not at all	17	3/18	−2.9
Self-appraisal of own skills/aptitudes	A great deal/A lot	56	107/191	2.6	2	7.743	0.021
	A moderate amount	39	38/98	−2.7
	A little/Not at all	48	14/29	−0.2
Career promotion and prospects	A great deal/A lot	58	85/146	2.7	2	7.300	0.026
	A moderate amount	43	51/118	−1.9
	A little/Not at all	43	23/54	−1.2
Lack of posts in other possible career paths	A great deal/A lot	27	8/30	−2.7	2	14.357	0.001
	A moderate amount	36	19/53	−2.3
	A little/Not at all	56	132/235	3.7
CL posts:
CL knowledge	A great deal/A lot	73	27/37	3.0	2	19.198	0.0005
	A moderate amount	59	69/118	2.3
	A little/Nothing at all	39	63/162	−4.1
CL attainability (accuracy of statement that CL is attainable)	Extremely/Very accurate	63	60/96	2.9	2	16.079	0.0005
	Moderately accurate	54	57/105	1.1
	Slightly/Not at all accurate	36	42/117	−3.8
Sources of information about possible career paths (amount of information received):
OUCAGS/ACO	A great deal/A lot	82	22/27	3.4	2	18.917	0.0005
	A moderate amount	65	33/51	2.2
	A little/None at all/N/A	44	103/236	−4.1
Mentor(s)	A great deal/A lot	64	50/78	2.8	2	8.778	0.012
	A moderate amount	49	40/81	−0.2
	A little/None at all/N/A	44	68/156	−2.3

*For explanation and interpretation see Method section.
†The following were considered ‘posts with research’: Academic Foundation Programme posts, Academic Clinical Fellow (England, Wales, Northern Ireland), Clinical Research Fellow (Scotland) and responses of ‘other post with time for research’.
‡Due to the small numbers selecting ‘A moderate amount’, ‘A little’ and ‘Not at all’, these categories were merged in order to meet χ² test assumptions (see Method section).
ACO, Academic Careers Office; CAC, clinical academic career; CL, clinical lectureship; OUCAGS, Oxford University Clinical Academic Graduate School.