Family Medicine Residents’ Attitudes About Training in Ethiopia and the United States

Abstract

Background and Objectives: In Ethiopia, family medicine began in 2013. The objective of this study was to compare family medicine residents’ attitudes about training in Ethiopia with those at a program in the United States. Methods: Family medicine residents at Addis Ababa University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the University of Maryland in Baltimore, Maryland completed a 43-item Likert scale survey in 2017. The survey assessed residents’ attitudes about residency education, patient care, independence as family physicians, finances, impact of residency on personal life, and women’s issues. We calculated descriptive statistics on the demographics data and analyzed survey responses using a two-sample t-test. Results: A total of 18 (75%) Ethiopian residents and 18 (60%) US residents completed the survey (n=36). The Ethiopian residents had a wider age distribution (25-50 years) than the US residents (25-34 years). More US residents were female (72%) compared to the Ethiopian cohort (50%), while more Ethiopian residents were married (72%) compared to the US cohort (47%). There were statistically significant differences in attitudes toward patient care (P=0.005) and finances (P<0.001), differences approaching significance in attitudes toward residency education, and no significant differences in independence as family physicians, the impact of residency on personal life, and women’s issues in family medicine. Conclusions: Across two very different cultures, resident attitudes about independence as family physicians, the impact of residency on personal life and women’s issues, were largely similar, while cross-national differences in attitudes were found relative to residency education, patient care, and finances.

Comparison of general practice residents’ attitudes and perceptions about training in two programmes in China: a mixed methods survey

“…While the study was conducted in only two residency sites, these were chosen specifically to compare two 5+3 programmes, one with the Four-Certificates-In-One educational innovation versus a typical programme. Future research in more programmes with this innovation could provide additional insight, though many of these findings resonate with previous resident surveys in Japan and the USA,22 and Ethiopia and the USA 23…”

“…These findings suggest that respect from other specialists can be improved. In Gossa et al ’s cross-national study of USA and Ethiopia (where family medicine only began in 2013), most differences in views about residency education among the US and the Ethiopian groups were overall not significant, but the Ethiopian residents were more frequently satisfied with their residency education than residents in a comparison programme in the USA (p=0.07) 23. These findings imply that even if the education system is in an early stage of development, resident satisfaction with education can be influenced positively depending on the circumstances of the program.…”

“…We distributed a survey used previously in comparisons of family medicine residents’ attitudes about training in Japan and the USA,22 and Ethiopia and the USA 23. The original instrument addressed GP residents’ demographics items, their attitudes towards GP residency training using 5-point Likert scale questions 22 23. We expanded on the 43 items used previously to create a 54-item survey to adapt for compelling contemporary issues in China.…”

Factors affecting family medicine programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa: a narrative review of recent literature

“…19,39,72,83 The wages that FM trainees could earn from the clinical work associated with their training were sometimes insufficient for daily living expenses. 85…”

Family medicine residency training in Ghana after 20 years: resident attitudes about their education

“… 6 On the other hand, comparisons between Ethiopia and the USA, Japan and the USA and from China, suggest that resident perspectives about fundamental training challenges in family medicine are more similar than dissimilar. 7–9 The residency programmes’ curricula periodically undergoes formal review and changes when the need arises, especially when needs are expressed by the current trainees in the setting of dedicated, supportive and transparent faculty members. Residency programmes ideally should undergo some formal evaluation in order to be sure they are providing adequate teaching and supervision for trainees.…”