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ABSTRACT:
The study was conducted to assess knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes about health-related careers. Several items concerning career guidance and counselling, science based career-related judgments, interest in science-related careers, and interest in health profession and Veterinary Medicine in particular were considered. A total of four hundred and twenty five graduating science students in the selected secondary schools students were used for the study. A total of 425 respondents participated in the research 181 male and 244 female. In this study 55.76 % of the respondents had no access to a career guidance and counsellor. The students were able to rank the professions used in this study based on a number of factors for example the students rated Veterinary Medicine and Human Medicine to require significantly (P=0.000) more number of schooling years than other courses. This also showed that the students had knowledge of the number of years required for training in various health related profession. The respondents also rated Veterinary Medicine and Human Medicine to be significantly (P=0.000) more difficult than other courses listed in the health related careers. However, the respondents rated Human medicine, physiology, pharmacy and dentistry as courses with significantly high professional image than Veterinary Medicine. The respondents ranked Human medicine and physiology as courses with significantly high opportunity for job post-graduation. On the other hand, the respondents ranked Veterinary Medicine as a course with the least opportunity of job post-graduation. Amongst all the factors listed as influencing the choice of a career respondents agreed that contact with a vocational counsellor may well influence their choice of study as well as a career in veterinary medicine. Respondents also agreed that availability of a mentor, availability of scholarship and availability of job post graduations would influence their choice of veterinary medicine as a career. The findings of this study revealed that prestige of a profession higher influence choice of career among male and female senior secondary school graduating students in Benin City. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher concluded that there was a significant influence of prestige of a profession on choice of career among graduating secondary school students in Benin City Edo State. It was also concluded that pet owner ship and experience with animals has significant influence on career choice in veterinary medicine. Career guidance and counselling may not be effective but is important in career choice determine amongst graduating secondary school students in Benin City, Edo State.
