BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Senior medical students' interest in family practice as a career choice has declined in recent years. METHODS: A questionnaire about attitudes toward family practice was mailed to the 1990 graduating class at the University of Maryland (N = 143), and 84 completed questionnaires were returned (59% response rate). RESULTS: Seniors believed that family practice was challenging (89%) and had intellectual content (integrity) comparable to other specialties (81%). Furthermore, students believed that family physicians provided comprehensive care (88%), were not replaceable by other health professionals (86%), and were able to keep abreast with technological medical advances (52%). However, only 4% of the graduating seniors selected family practice as a career. Most students believed that family practice lacked prestige (82%), and about one half (55%) believed that it was too broad in scope. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of prestige, stressful life-style, difficulty in mastering medical knowledge, and poor potential income were the main reasons given by students for not selecting family practice.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Senior medical students' interest in family practice as a career choice has declined in recent years. METHODS: A questionnaire about attitudes toward family practice was mailed to the 1990 graduating class at the University of Maryland (N = 143), and 84 completed questionnaires were returned (59% response rate). RESULTS: Seniors believed that family practice was challenging (89%) and had intellectual content (integrity) comparable to other specialties (81%). Furthermore, students believed that family physicians provided comprehensive care (88%), were not replaceable by other health professionals (86%), and were able to keep abreast with technological medical advances (52%). However, only 4% of the graduating seniors selected family practice as a career. Most students believed that family practice lacked prestige (82%), and about one half (55%) believed that it was too broad in scope. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of prestige, stressful life-style, difficulty in mastering medical knowledge, and poor potential income were the main reasons given by students for not selecting family practice.
Authors: J Santos Suárez; M Santiago Alvarez; P Alonso Hernández; M Alonso Llamas; E Merladet Artiacha; E Corrales Fernández Journal: Aten Primaria Date: 2001-03-31 Impact factor: 1.137