Dataset Information

Medical students' perception of general practice: a cross-sectional survey.

ABSTRACT:

Background

An increase in the demand for general practitioners is expected in many countries, but only a minority of medical students consider a career in general practice. More detailed and up-to-date knowledge about medical student's perception of general practice would be helpful for efforts to encourage medical students to consider a career in general practice.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional single center survey among Dutch medical students to evaluate their perception of general practice at three different stages in their study: Ba1: first-year bachelor students; Ba3: third-year bachelor students; Ma3: third-year master students. The impact of different factors on their attitudes and perceptions was quantified. A multivariate logistic regression was performed with 'interest in general practice' as the outcome variable.

Results

The median age for Ba1 was 18 (IQR: 18-19) and 71.5% were female, for Ba3 the median age was 20 (IQR: 20-21) and 70.6% were female and for Ma3 the median age was 25 years (IQR: 24-26) and 73.3% were female. On average, 31.2% of the respondents had a migration background. The mean response rate for this study was 77.1%. Of the participating Ba1 students (n = 340) only 22.4% considered working as a GP after medical school; for Ba3 students (n = 231) this percentage was 33.8%, and for Ma3 students (n = 210) it was significantly higher at 70.5%; in the final multivariate model this corresponded to an odds ratio (OR) of 4.3 (95%-CI:2.6-6.9) compared to Ba1 students. The strongest predictor in the final model was the opinion that general practice provides a pleasant working environment (OR 9.5; 95%-CI: 6.2-14.5).

Conclusion

This study showed that multiple factors are significantly related to medical students' interest in general practice. Although students believed that general practice does not have a high status within the medical profession, they acknowledged the social importance and the pleasant working environment of general practice. Knowledge obtained in this study can be used when designing a medical curriculum or a general practice course.

SUBMITTER: Pols DHJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9912627 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Medical students' perception of general practice: a cross-sectional survey.

Pols D H J DHJ Kamps A A Runhaar J J Elshout G G van Halewijn K F KF Bindels Patrick J E PJE Stegers-Jager K M KM

BMC medical education 20230209 1

<h4>Background</h4>An increase in the demand for general practitioners is expected in many countries, but only a minority of medical students consider a career in general practice. More detailed and up-to-date knowledge about medical student's perception of general practice would be helpful for efforts to encourage medical students to consider a career in general practice.<h4>Methods</h4>We performed a cross-sectional single center survey among Dutch medical students to evaluate their perception ...[more]

PMID: 36759816

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Project description:BackgroundThe global primary healthcare workforce is declining, leading to a shortage of general practitioners. Although various educational models aim to increase interest in general practice, effective interventions are limited. The reasons for this low appeal among medical graduates remain unclear.MethodsThis cross-sectional study surveyed medical students' and residents' attitudes towards general practice in Tyrol, Austria. The online questionnaire addressed professional values, general practice-related issues, personal professional intentions, and demographics. Data analysis employed chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression to explore predictors of interest in general practice.ResultsThe study included 528 students and 103 residents. Key values identified were stable positions, assured income, and work-family reconciliation. General practice was recognised for long-term patient relationships and patient contact, with students attributing more positive work-environmental characteristics and higher reputation to it than residents. Few participants (students: 3.2%, residents: 11.7%) had opted for general practice; about half were considering it as career option. Reasons not to choose general practice were preferences for other specialties, intrinsic characteristics of general practice, workload, insufficient time for the patients, financial pressures, low reputation, and perceived mediocre training quality. Predictors of interest in general practice included perception of independent decision-making, importance of work-family balance (students), better practical experiences in general practice during medical school (students and residents), younger age, and perceiving general practice as offering a promising future (residents). Both groups felt underprepared by medical school and/or general practice training for general practice roles. The attractiveness of specialist medicine over general practice was related to clearer content boundaries, better career opportunities, and higher incomes.ConclusionsAccording to these results, measures to improve attractiveness of general practice should focus on (i) high-quality undergraduate education including practical experiences, and (ii) on ensuring professional autonomy, work-family reconciliation, and job stability. Efforts to encourage more graduates to pursue this essential healthcare sector are crucial for strengthening primary healthcare and public health services.Trial registrationThe study has not been registered as it did not include a direct medical intervention on human participants.

Project description:BackgroundAgainst the background of the recruitment crisis in general practice, we aimed to determine what United Kingdom (UK) medical students value in their future careers, how they perceive careers in general practice (GP) and what influences them.MethodsCross-sectional survey of 280 final and penultimate year medical students at the University of Oxford, with questions relating to career choices, factors of importance when choosing a career and attitudes towards general practice as a career. Quantitative methods included cluster analysis, chi squared tests of independence and logistic regression analysis. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using the Framework method.ResultsResponse rate was 89% (280/315). 40% of participants said that general practice was an attractive or very attractive career option. Respondents valued job satisfaction, work-life balance and close relationships with patients. However, fewer than 20% of respondents agreed that community-based working was important to them and many (often citing particular GPs they had observed) felt that general practice as currently structured may not be satisfying or fulfilling because of high workload, financial pressures and externally imposed directives. 63% perceived GPs to have lower status than hospital specialties and 49% thought the overall culture of their medical school had negatively influenced their views towards general practice. Some respondents considered that general practice would not be intellectually challenging or compatible with a research career; some appeared to have had limited exposure to academic primary care.ConclusionsWith the caveat that this was a sample from a single medical school, medical students may be put off careers in general practice by three main things: low perceived value of community-based working and low status of general practice (linked to a prevailing medical school culture); observing the pressures under which GPs currently work; and lack of exposure to academic role models and primary care-based research opportunities. To improve recruitment of the next generation of GPs, medical schools must provide high quality placements in general practice, expose students to academic role models and highlight to policymakers the links between the current pressures in UK general practice and the recruitment crisis.

Project description:BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Leipzig completely switched to online teaching. Thus, we developed a practice-oriented digital substitute for a two-week mandatory general practice (GP) clerkship. Main components were processing of clinical cases and additional GP topics, visual diagnoses, information and examination videos, and regular remote exchanges with associated GP teachers. We took the chance to comprehensively evaluate the new teaching formats (acceptance, use, working enjoyment, learning gain, practical relevance, insights into general practice) and to compare evaluations with two previous semesters to gain insights for future blended learning concepts.MethodsCross-sectional post-hoc online evaluation among fourth year (of six) medical students participating in the digital mandatory 2-week GP clerkship during summer semester 2020; additional cohort comparison with two previous semesters (face-to-face clerkship).ResultsOut of 192 participants in the digital clerkship, 99 completed our questionnaire (response rate = 51.6%). Results were compared with 277 previous evaluations (face-to-face semesters). Most participants reported having enjoyed the online-based clerkship (87.9%), having learned a lot (89.9%), having gained insights into general practice (76.8%), and perceived high practical relevance (90.9%). Implementing the new teaching formats into future face-to-face clerkships was welcomed by 65.6%. Clinical cases, visual diagnoses, examination videos and communication with GP teachers were rated best regarding working enjoyment, learning gain, practical relevance and insights into a GP's work. Cohort comparison revealed somewhat better evaluations regarding knowledge transfer for the digital clerkship while imparting of skills and attitudes was reportedly worse.ConclusionsStudents welcomed the digital content and perceived relevant learning gain. Our results may help to develop future blended learning concepts. Clinical cases, examination videos and visual diagnoses appear to be particularly suitable as useful online complements which could enrich face-to-face teaching. As students especially valued the exclusive time for exchanges with their preceptor, this should be facilitated in face-to-face clerkships.

Dataset Information

Medical students' perception of general practice: a cross-sectional survey.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Medical students' perception of general practice: a cross-sectional survey.

Similar Datasets

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