[The ideal physician: medical students' image of the profession].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the view medical students have of the medical profession.
DESIGN: Cross sectional study of year cohorts, Utrecht.
METHOD: The attitudes of 445 medical students towards the 'ideal physician' were studied. It is often assumed that medical students' attitudes change to a less care-oriented direction as they proceed in their education. It is also assumed that female students' attitudes are more care-oriented than male students' attitudes. Traits of the ideal physician were described in a scale of 18 care-versus cure oriented items. Validity and reliability of the measuring instrument were sufficient. The scores of pre-clinical and clinical, male and female students were obtained.
RESULTS: Contrary to expectation, ideals of clinical students. In were more care-oriented than ideals of beginning students. In general, students' ideals were neutral to slightly care-oriented. As was expected, female students' ideals were more care-oriented than male students' ideals.
CONCLUSION: Medical students did not lose their slightly care-oriented ideals as they progressed. Female students held more care-oriented attitudes than their male colleagues.