Can a family medicine rotation improve medical students’ knowledge, skills and attitude towards primary care in Vietnam? A pre‐test–post‐test comparison and qualitative survey

Abstract

objectives Well-designed studies on the impact of a family medicine rotation on medical students are rare, and very few studies include a qualitative component. This study aimed to determine the improvement of medical students' knowledge, communication skills and attitude towards primary care and explore their perceptions after rotations, in comparison with a control group.methods We used a mixed-methods design, comprising a pre-test-post-test comparison between a sample of trained students who took family medicine rotations and a control group and a qualitative survey. The measurement of improvement included (i) multiple choice question testing, (ii) objective structured checklist examinations, (iii) self-reporting and (iv) interviews and focus group discussions. Data were collected from August 2017 to June 2018.results There were 696 students in the trained group and 617 controls. The two groups' baseline scores in knowledge, communication skills and attitude were not significantly different. Knowledge covering five domains of family medicine (Pearson's r from 0.6 to 0.9) improved significantly, as did attitudes towards primary care in the trained group. There were no differences in communication and counselling skills between the two groups for four situations, but for two-health check-ups and mental health care-skills were significantly improved (Pearson's r from 0.28 to 0.43). The qualitative survey showed highly positive feedback from trained students.conclusions The family medicine rotation significantly improved students' knowledge and attitude towards primary care and some communication skills. Further studies should investigate students' interest in and career choice for this discipline.keywords family medicine rotation, primary care, knowledge, attitude, skill, pre-test and post-test comparison, qualitative survey, Vietnam Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals) *This article is part of a series of papers created in honour of the 40th anniversary

Early generalist placements are associated with family medicine career choice: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Pre‐clerkship placements mitigate this stigma by demonstrating the positive aspects of generalist specialties, and exposing students to FM role models and mentors that better promote generalist careers 45,56 . Indeed, this was the finding in a study conducted in Vietnam where attitudes regarding FM were shown to be more positive in the group that participated in a 2‐week FM rotation compared to its control 57 . Regardless of eventual specialty interest, early placements may help improve attitudes and perspectives of FM in medical school 33,58‐64 …”

“…shown to be more positive in the group that participated in a 2-week FM rotation compared to its control. 57 Regardless of eventual specialty interest, early placements may help improve attitudes and perspectives of FM in medical school.…”

Understanding medical students’ interests in family medicine in Vietnam: A qualitative study

“…A previous study showed that the family medicine rotation had an impact on students' knowledge, attitude and skills towards family medicine. 8 However, the lower status of family medicine in comparison to other specialties may lead to low levels of interest in this discipline by students and medical staff.…”

Undergraduate Medical Education Reform in Viet Nam for a Primary Health Care Workforce

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