A cross-sectional study of medical students' perceptions about family medicine in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objectives:The main aim of this study is to evaluate the interest and knowledge of medical students about family medicine (FM) in Saudi Arabia. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted. The data was collected through a voluntarily filled survey that was distributed among medical students at all universities in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Results: Data were collected from 340 students, with a mean age of 22 ± 1. The majority of respondents (94%) have heard about the FM specialty and only 6 percent haven't heard about it. Most of the participants (79%) stated that they knew the family physician's role in society. Statistics showed a significant difference between males, females and Saudi and non-Saudi students regarding knowledge about the family physicians' role in the community. Conclusion:Our qualitative study provided comprehensive information on medical students' knowledge of family medicine. The available data shows that there is good knowledge and perception of FM as a specialty and its role in the community. In general, almost half of the students have the desire to specialize as family physicians, which is consistent with the plans of the country's health system.