Studentsʼ evolving attitudes toward family medicine and specialty choices at one medical school

Abstract

Seventy members of the class that entered Dartmouth Medical School in 1984 responded in 1984 and again in 1988 to statements regarding their attitudes towards family medicine, their general criteria for choosing a specialty, and their concerns about lifestyle; also, the students were asked in 1984 to indicate their interest in a career in family medicine and in 1988 to indicate their long-term specialty choices. The students' attitudes towards family medicine were generally positive on entry and became even more positive by their fourth year. Of the 25 students who indicated an initial interest in family medicine, six chose residencies in this field. Because most of the students studied showed strengthening agreement with both (1) the belief that family practitioners are particularly capable of providing comprehensive care and (2) the desire to concentrate on a specialty that would enable them to feel very competent and sure of their work, the authors hypothesize that the students may have feared that their desire for competence and certainty was incompatible with the comprehensiveness of family medicine.

Interest in Geriatric Medicine in Canada: How Can We Secure a Next Generation of Geriatricians?

“…Lack of information, lack of support, and lack of awareness of one's potential talents or abilities are barriers to making medical career choices 26 . Students who feel competent and sure of their work are more likely to specialize in the area of their initial interest 27 . In this study, 24 students expressed an interest in geriatrics in their first year, but the proportion of these students that will go on to specialize in geriatrics is likely to be low.…”

“…26 Students who feel competent and sure of their work are more likely to specialize in the area of their initial interest. 27 In this study, 24 students expressed an interest in geriatrics in their first year, but the proportion of these students that will go on to specialize in geriatrics is likely to be low. There is a need to nurture and support students' interest in geriatrics.…”

Influences on final year medical students’ attitudes to general practice as a career

“…During early undergraduate years, general practice as a career is rated poorly by students; however, it appears to become a more popular career choice throughout medical training. 7,8 Identifying students' attitudes to general practice helps to explain what influences their career choices. A recent review indicates that general practice is perceived by students as less interesting, less challenging, and less prestigious than subspecialty hospital careers.…”

The Attitude of the Medical Students of the University of Hong Kong towards Emergency Medicine

“…This finding was also noted in studies in Family Medicine. 11 One's career choice is likely dependent of multiple factors and may be independent of one's perception of a specialty.…”