Perceptions of family medicine and career choice among first year medical students: A cross-sectional survey in a Turkish medical school

Ozcakir A., Yaphe J., Ercan İ.

COLLEGIUM ANTROPOLOGICUM, cilt.31, sa.2, ss.595-600, 2007 (SSCI) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 31 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2007
  • Dergi Adı: COLLEGIUM ANTROPOLOGICUM
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.595-600
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: family medicine, student, attitudes, career choice, UNITED-STATES, DOCTORS, WOMEN, PREFERENCES, PREDICTORS, PHYSICIANS, TRENDS, ENTRY
  • Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Public attitudes to family medicine in Turkey have lagged behind its rapid academic development. The effect of undergraduate training in primary care on medical students' attitudes to family medicine has not been assessed. Objectives of this study were to assess the attitudes of first year medical students at Uludag University School of Medicine in Bursa, Turkey to family medicine and to determine their career aspirations. The study was a survey of the first year medical class in 2003-2004. The response rate was 95% (2481261 students). Students were positive about their choice of medicine as a career but had negative opinions of general practice. Female students were more positive in this respect. Initial preference was for specialization in fields other than general practice with little knowledge of the academic specialty of family medicine. Greater undergraduate exposure to family medicine is needed in order to increase knowledge of the field and influence student career choices.