Perceptions of Final Year Medical Students about Family Medicine as A Career Choice in Pakistan

ABSTRACT

Background:

Family medicine is a field in which complete and detailed set of healthcare services are provided to the patients and their families. In developed countries, freshly graduated students choose family medicine as a priority for their career. However, in Pakistan it is not the case. The present study is undertaken to determine the perceptions of final year medical students’ about Family Medicine as a viable career.

Methods:

A total number of 504 students participated in the study. This was a cross-sectional study. The study participants were in their final year of medical college. Data was collected using a preapproved questionnaire. Data was entered and analyzed via SPSS version 17 and Chi-Square test was used post-stratification.

Results:

Only 14.3% (n=72) medical students had heard about Family Medicine. Only 18% (n=92) would select family medicine as a profession. The most frequent rationale for choosing the field of Family Medicine was the variety of patients seen in general practice (55.4% n=51).

Conclusion:

There is a dire need to focus on increasing awareness about the field of family medicine among medical students. The students should be counseled on the advantages along with the disadvantages of choosing this field as a medical profession.

Key words:

Perceptions; General Practice; Delivery of Health Care, Medical.

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Volume 9 Issue-1 2020
DOI https://doi.org/10.36283/PJMD9-1/023
Publisher Name Ziauddin University
  • Dur-e-Nishat
    • Department of Family Medicine, Fatima Memorial Hospital
  • Ghazala Usman
    • Department of Community Medicine, Jinnah Sindh Medical University
  • Nasir Shah
    • Department of Family Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Lahore
  • Kiran Abbas
    • Student, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Moiz Ahmed
    • Student, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Maria Khan
    • Student, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan