Perceptions of medical students regarding medical profession

Abstract

Introduction: Medical students enter this profession with a set of perceptions toward the practice of medicine. The study of these factors becomes important as it may provide an insight into the perceptions of doctors toward medical profession to maintain a high standard of professionalism among medical practitioners. Material & Methods: This study was conducted by the department of community medicine of a premier medical institute of Delhi and involved the analysis of 457 feedback forms filled by medical students about their perceptions regarding medical profession at the time of entry and at the end of graduation. The responses were read several times and categorized into similar thematic areas. Results: At the time of choosing profession, 74.8% mentioned the reasons as, its respectable status in the society, 71.8% mentioned their interest to serve people, 26.9% the possibility of huge financial earning, and 21.2% the ease of getting employment. At the end of graduation, 312 (68.3%) considered ease of getting a job and 251 (54.9%) high paying capacity. The proportion of participants mentioning the profession to be prestigious and respectful (50.1%) and intention to serve people (51.2%) considerably declined. Regarding the reasons for change, majority (74.6%) mentioned stress, 66.7% felt it less rewarding, and 54.2% mentioned difficulty to maintain work-life balance. Conclusion: There was a change in students' perceptions at the end of graduation as compared to the time of entry. Their focus shifted from being in a respectful profession and serving community to getting jobs and earning money.