Perception of community medicine as a curriculum and  career option among medical students

Muthamilan, Om Lokesh; Hapani, Pragati Amit; Beotra, Sakshi; Kotian, Shashidar; Goyal, Ishan

doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20222028

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 9 publications

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“…The findings of the study showed that most students perceived CM as an essential subject that provided a holistic view of public health and its importance. This finding was aided by similar result that was found in study done by Muthamilan OL et al (7) Despite that, the study found that the students' interest in CM correlated negatively with their career preference for the same, only three students chose CM as their career preference. Similarly, studies done by Guraya SY et al (8)…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Perception about Community Medicine as a subject and career preference among undergraduate students

Padhiyar,

Jasani,

Sochaliya

2024

Indian J Community Health

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Background: In the pursuit of cultivating primary physicians, the Department of Community Medicine (CM) emphasizes value-based education for undergraduates, aiming to shape the foundation of a first-contact doctor. Despite this, only a minority ultimately selects CM as their specialty. Aim & Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate how undergraduates perceive CM as both a subject and a career choice. Additionally, the study aimed to identify the factors influencing students' decisions to either choose or not choose CM as a career path. Methods and Material: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among medical college undergraduates, utilizing a pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire with a Likert scale through Google Forms, ensuring informed consent. Results: Among 411 students, 259 participated, with a mean age of 21.23 ± 1.39 years. While participants generally held a positive perception of CM, only 1.1% considered it as a career choice. Top reasons against opting CM were "unpopularity compared to clinical subjects," "lack of clinical exposure," and "insufficient information on future prospects." Conclusion: Students recognize the significance of CM and possess a positive opinion, yet there exists reluctance in choosing it as a career.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Perception about Community Medicine as a subject and career preference among undergraduate students

Padhiyar,

Jasani,

Sochaliya

2024

Indian J Community Health

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Perception about community medicine: A mixed-method study among 1st year MBBS entrants of a private medical college of eastern India

Nayak,

Mohapatra,

Sahoo

et al. 2024

International Journal of Academic Medicine

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Introduction: The introduction of Community Medicine (CM) into medical curriculum dates back to 1955; from imparting training as a comprehensive healthcare provider, to the current National Medical Commission (NMC) goals of creating a physician of primary contact, the importance of the subject needs to be oriented to the students. The objective of the study was to assess the perception of 1st-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery students about the subject CM. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional mixed-method study was conducted in a medical college in Eastern India; the college has an intake of 250 students annually. After ethics approval, using an embedded quantitative and qualitative mixed-method study design, data were collected, using a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire, having sections on demographic information, and perception about CM, with both open-ended and closed-ended (a three-point Likert scale (Agree – 1, Don’t know – 2, and Disagree – 3) questions. Quantitative data were expressed as means, frequencies, and percentages and qualitative data as thematic content analysis. The data were analyzed using Epi Info software, version 7.3.2 (CDC, Atlanta, Georgia, USA). Results: Of the total 250 students, 237 participated, with a response rate of 94.8%. Their mean age was 19.03 ± 1.21 standard deviation years, and 45.57% were males. Four major themes emerged from the content analysis of perception – “treatment,” “prevention and awareness generation,” “community outreach,” and “health-workforce training.” Fifteen subthemes surfaced beneath the main themes. 96.20% had a positive attitude toward the subject; females had a better perception. Conclusion: Study findings showed that although there were a few negative perceptions about the subject, the majority had a positive one, signaling a welcome change. This goes in favor of the vision of NMC to have added the family-adoption program, help them to come in closer contact with the communities, learn to communicate with them, understand their health needs, and thereby become better doctors. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Practice-based learning and improvement, Medical knowledge, Systems-based practice, Interpersonal and communication skills, and Professionalism.

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Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Community Medicine Among Medical Students: A Systematic Review

Gupta,

Debnath,

Charag

et al. 2024

Cureus

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Community medicine is yet to become a popular discipline as a choice for postgraduation and career among medical students in India. Our objective is to find the proportion of students opting for community medicine as a choice for a career. We also aim to find out the perceptions and attitudes of medical students about the subject of community medicine. Our inclusion criteria encompassed studies of any design, written or translated into the English language, and published from their inception up to the last date of our search, which was 15th August 2023. Our comprehensive search covered prominent databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Embase, as well as an extensive screening of the first 10 pages of Google Scholar and Google. The risk of bias in the studies was evaluated by using the quality assessment tools recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool for prevalence studies. In the initial search, 2069 articles were identified, with 1109 duplicates removed. The remaining 960 articles underwent title and abstract screening, leading to the exclusion of 931 articles. After applying eligibility criteria and reviewing the full text of 29 articles, seven studies were excluded. Ultimately, 22 studies were deemed eligible for inclusion in the systematic review. Among the total of 5106 students, 1032 students expressed a willingness to choose community medicine as their career. The pooled estimate, derived through a random effects model, was 0.21, with a 95% CI of 0.14 to 0.27. Studies conducted in India revealed a willingness of 0.23 (95% CI: 0.13-0.33), whereas studies conducted outside India reported a lower proportion of 0.17 (0.14-0.24). When considering the year of study, a combined willingness of 0.02 (95% CI: 0.00-0.03) was observed among first and second-year students, contrasting with a higher proportion of 0.18 (95% CI: 0.04-0.32) among thirdyear students. Fourth-year students and interns demonstrated a willingness of 0.03 (95% CI: 0.00-0.06). The factors for disliking the subject included the perceived absence of clinical engagements, concerns about financial rewards, limited prospects for recognition and fame, etc. By actively engaging in the solution of these challenges, medical educators and policymakers can contribute to the vitalization of community medicine as a coveted and attractive specialty.

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Perception of community medicine as a curriculum and career option among medical students

Cited by 3 publications

References 9 publications

Perception about Community Medicine as a subject and career preference among undergraduate students

Perception about Community Medicine as a subject and career preference among undergraduate students

Perception about community medicine: A mixed-method study among 1st year MBBS entrants of a private medical college of eastern India

Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Community Medicine Among Medical Students: A Systematic Review

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