Predictors for choosing the specialty of Family Medicine from undergraduate knowledge and attitudes

Abstract

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: A cold climate towards primary care (PC) within medical academia could form a barrier against choosing family medicine (FM) as a career option. This study was designed to determine whether medical students' knowledge of and attitudes towards FM predicted their career choice. RESULTS: In Albacete, the questionnaire was answered by 79 second-year and 76 sixth-year students; in Seville, it was answered by 26 sixth-year students. After completing the PC course, 69.3% said they would like to become a family doctor. This percentage decreased to 40.3% at the end of the undergraduate course (P < 0.0001). In the sixth year, the attitudes towards FM worsened, yet these were significantly more favorable than those in Seville. Only 12 students chose FM; they obtained significantly worse scores in their specialty selection examination than their peers (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: In the Albacete Medical School, the students' opinion about FM worsened over the undergraduate course, although it was still better than the Seville students' stance. In any case, FM was seen to be a minority option. RESUMO CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO:Um clima frio para a atenção primária na academia médica constitui uma barreira para escolher Medicina de Família (MF) como opção de carreira. Este estudo foi concebido para determinar se o conhecimento e as atitudes dos estudantes de medicina em relação à MF predizem a escolha da carreira.

At what stage in the undergraduate curriculum is it best to train in family medicine? A study from two medical schools in Spain

“…Results of this study seemed to be consistent with previous findings [13]. This work contributes to the many studies that have been published on the interest of medical students in FM with the strength of a prospective study, following-up from two cohorts of students in the second year and sixth years as well as after speciality election.…”

<p>First-year medical student attitudes about general practice in China: a comparison between Chinese and international students</p>

“…The stability of the participants’ preferences obtained in cross-sectional research remains uncertain. The optimism for interest in GP should be interpreted with caution, as the international literature suggests that without an unequivocal social valuing of GP, interest will likely wane as these students progress through the curriculum 8,13,14,31. As the study was conducted in a leading academic medical institution, caution may be needed in extrapolating the findings across China.…”

“…Conviction based on personal experience with illness in oneself or others has been shown to influence GP career choice,7,11 though expectations for higher income, prestige, and a research career have been negatively associated with primary care interest 4. Student attitudes toward GP have been illustrated to be more positive in countries with social policies favoring primary care, eg, the UK and Spain,6,12 than countries without primary care-supportive policies, eg, Brazil and Germany 13,14…”

Family physician model in the health system of selected countries: A comparative study summary

“…Of course, studies in Canada and Australia, however, have shown that in recent years, the number of medical school graduates choosing a family physician as a specialty has declined because of the load of working and payment problems. [ 60 61 ]…”