scholarly journals Knowledge of final-year medical students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal about family medicine, and long-term career choices

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Omed Ali ◽  
AJ Ross ◽  
TC Nkabinde
2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Omed Ali ◽  
A. J. Ross ◽  
T. C. Nkabinde

Background: While international experience suggests that well-trained primary care physicians improve the quality and cost effectiveness of health care, family medicine (FM) as the discipline of the specialist primary care physician appears to not be an attractive career for medical graduates in South Africa (SA). The aim of this study was to establish final-year medical students’ knowledge about FM and its relevance to the healthcare system, explore their perceptions of the discipline’s relevance, and identify their specialty preference.Methods: This was a descriptive study conducted amongst final-year medical students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in 2017 at the conclusion of their seven-week FM module. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and results were analysed descriptively.Results: The response rate of completed questionnaires was 80.2% (157/196). Students reported limited exposure to FM in their early undergraduate years and low levels of awareness about essential public health programmes. Students showed good awareness of the six roles of family physicians (FPs), but FM was only the sixth most popular choice for specialisation.Conclusions: In general, students had favourable views concerning FM and its role in the future of healthcare delivery in SA, although their knowledge of essential health programmes was poor. The majority of students had limited interest in pursuing a career in FM. A key recommendation to address these issues is to introduce FM into the curriculum earlier, to cover the key roles of the FP, and provide teaching that highlights the relevance of FM to health system programmes.


Author(s):  
Gustavo Salata Romão ◽  
Reinaldo Bulgarelli Bestetti ◽  
Lucélio Bernardes Couto

Abstract: Introduction: Problem-based learning (PBL) is a collaborative student-centered learning method for small groups, based on the mobilization of previous knowledge and on critical reasoning for problem solving. Although it has been used predominantly in the classroom, when applied in clinical studies, PBL can increase the intrinsic motivation and long-term knowledge retention. In addition, Clinical PBL represents a more effective option to learn from practice considering the students’ overload in clinical clerkships in the Unified Health System (UHS). This study aimed to assess the students’ perception of a Clinical PBL model implemented in Primary Health Care (PHC) clerkships during the first four years of the Medical Course at the University of Ribeirão Preto (UNAERP) in 2017. Method: The primary outcome was assessed by the DREEM (Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure) tool, which contains 50 items distributed in five dimensions. The questionnaire was applied to 374 medical students, corresponding to 78% of the total number of medical students from the first to the fourth year. Results: For most of the evaluated items, the students’ perceptions were “positive”, including the dimensions “Perception of Teachers”, “Perception of Academic Results” and “Perception of the General Environment”. For the dimensions “Perception of Learning” and “Perception of Social Relationships” the evaluation was “more positive than negative”. The DREEM total score was 124.31, corresponding to 62.15% of the maximum score, which indicates a perception that is “more positive than negative” regarding the Clinical PBL. The internal consistency given by Cronbach’s alpha was 0.92. Conclusion: The use of Clinical PBL in PHC qualifies learning from practice, is well accepted by medical students and offers a useful option to the students’ overload in the clinical clerkship during the first four years of the Medical School.


2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-167
Author(s):  
Jelena Evic ◽  
Gordana Pavlekovic ◽  
Lucija Murgic ◽  
Hana Brborovic

Abstract Aim: To gain insight into the trend of career choice for family medicine in Croatia in recent years. Methods: Six surveys were performed in the academic years 2006/07-2011/12 at the University of Zagreb, School of Medicine. Altogether, 1140 6th year students participated. They anonymously completed a questionnaire containing questions on desired future specialisation as well as other selected characteristics (e.g. gender, desired area and place of work, motivation to study medicine, etc.). Binary logistic regression was used to determine unadjusted and adjusted trends. Results: After adjustment for selected factors, the relationship between observed outcome and the year of observation showed an evident decreasing trend. The odds for intention to specialise in family medicine were in the academic year 2006/2007 1.43-times higher than in the year 2007/2008 (p=0.412), 1.85-times higher than in the year 2008/2009 (p=0.168), 2.38-times higher than in the year 2009/2010 (p=0.051), 2.63-times higher than in the year 2010/2011 (p=0.027) and 3.85-times higher than in the year 2011/2012 (p=0.003). Conclusions: The results of the present study offer evidence that Croatia is experiencing a constantly decreasing trend of career choice for family medicine in recent years. It is obvious that final year medical students are not very much interested in working as family practitioners. At the same time, demand for family practitioners in Croatia is increasing. Both academic and professional societies have a social responsibility to reorient the health care system and medical curricula towards comprehensive primary health care in which family medicine has a key role.


CJEM ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (04) ◽  
pp. 251-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morgan Hillier ◽  
Shelley McLeod ◽  
Danny Mendelsohn ◽  
Bradley Moffat ◽  
Audra Smallfield ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTObjectives:The objective of this study was to assess medical students' knowledge of and attitudes toward the two Canadian emergency medicine (EM) residency programs (Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada [FRCPC] and Certificant of the College of Family Physicians-Emergency Medicine [CCFP-EM]). Additionally, medical students interested in EM were asked to select factors affecting their preferred choice of residency training program and their intended future practice.Methods:Medical students enrolled at The University of Western Ontario for the 2008–2009 academic year were invited to complete an online 47-item questionnaire pertaining to their knowledge, opinions, and attitudes toward EM residency training.Results:Of the 563 students invited to participate, 406 (72.1%) completed the survey. Of the respondents, 178 (43.8%) expressed an interest in applying to an EM residency training program, with 85 (47.8%) most interested in applying to the CCFP-EM program.The majority of respondents (54.1%) interested in EM believed that there should be two streams to EM certification, whereas 18.0% disagreed. Family life and control over work schedule appeared to be common priorities seen as benefits of any career in EM. Other high-ranking factors influencing career choice differed between the groups interested in CCFP-EM and FRCPC. The majority of students interested in the CCFP-EM residency program (78%) reported that they intend to blend their EM with their family medicine practice. Only 2% of students planned to practice only EM with no family medicine.Conclusions:This is the first survey of Canadian medical students to describe disparities in factors influencing choice of EM residency stream, perceptions of postgraduate work life, and anticipated practice environment.


2009 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 311-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tasha Robertson ◽  
Garry Walter ◽  
Nerissa Soh ◽  
Glenn Hunt ◽  
Michelle Cleary ◽  
...  

Objectives: The objectives were, first, to determine attitudes towards psychiatry as a career among medical students currently enrolled at the University of Sydney and, second, to establish the immediate impact on those attitudes of a promotional DVD, released by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Method: Medical students enrolled in the University of Sydney in 2008 were invited to complete a voluntary online questionnaire, in which their attitudes towards psychiatry were explored, and the immediate effects of a 15-minute DVD were ascertained. Results: A total of 123 students participated. Only one student identified psychiatry as their chosen career. Medical students viewed psychiatry as the least attractive specialty for the degree to which patients are helped effectively and in terms of having a reliable scientific foundation. However, it rated well in regard to being intellectually challenging, a rapidly advancing field of medicine, and providing research opportunities and a good lifestyle. Psychiatry is less respected than most other specialties by students and they perceive this discipline to be poorly respected by other medical students and current medical practitioners. After viewing the DVD, there were improved student ratings of the benefits of a career in psychiatry, especially in relation to the specialty being enjoyable, offering effective treatment and having a scientific foundation. There was also enhanced understanding of the role of a psychiatrist in just over half of the participants and increased interest in psychiatry in about 30% of participants. The DVD was most effective in increasing awareness of the diversity of subspecialties available within psychiatry, good lifestyle factors, and the training involved. Conclusion: Among medical students, psychiatry is perceived as unattractive and fails to command the respect afforded other specialties. The viewing of a promotional DVD by medical students was found to be effective in improving their attitudes towards psychiatry and increasing their interest in pursuing a career in the specialty. However, the long-term impact of this modest improvement is unknown and the low survey response rate limits the extent to which the results can be generalized.


Author(s):  
Gustavo Salata Romão ◽  
Reinaldo Bulgarelli Bestetti ◽  
Lucélio Bernardes Couto

Abstract: Introduction: Problem-based learning (PBL) is a collaborative student-centered learning method for small groups, based on the mobilization of previous knowledge and on critical reasoning for problem solving. Although it has been used predominantly in the classroom, when applied in clinical studies, PBL can increase the intrinsic motivation and long-term knowledge retention. In addition, Clinical PBL represents a more effective option to learn from practice considering the students’ overload in clinical clerkships in the Unified Health System (UHS). This study aimed to assess the students’ perception of a Clinical PBL model implemented in Primary Health Care (PHC) clerkships during the first four years of the Medical Course at the University of Ribeirão Preto (UNAERP) in 2017. Method: The primary outcome was assessed by the DREEM (Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure) tool, which contains 50 items distributed in five dimensions. The questionnaire was applied to 374 medical students, corresponding to 78% of the total number of medical students from the first to the fourth year. Results: For most of the evaluated items, the students’ perceptions were “positive”, including the dimensions “Perception of Teachers”, “Perception of Academic Results” and “Perception of the General Environment”. For the dimensions “Perception of Learning” and “Perception of Social Relationships” the evaluation was “more positive than negative”. The DREEM total score was 124.31, corresponding to 62.15% of the maximum score, which indicates a perception that is “more positive than negative” regarding the Clinical PBL. The internal consistency given by Cronbach’s alpha was 0.92. Conclusion: The use of Clinical PBL in PHC qualifies learning from practice, is well accepted by medical students and offers a useful option to the students’ overload in the clinical clerkship during the first four years of the Medical School.


2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
D T Hagemeister ◽  
A Pal ◽  
U Kristen ◽  
N Mokgosana ◽  
G Joubert

Background: There is a large demand for Family Medicine specialists, yet not enough medical students specialise in this field. This study investigated the interest of undergraduate medical students at the University of the Free State in pursuing a career in Family Medicine, factors associated with this interest, and their opinion of Family Medicine as a specialty. Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional study, anonymous, self-reporting questionnaires, available in English and Afrikaans, were distributed to first- to fifth-year undergraduates. Data were collected on demographic variables and interest in Family Medicine and other disciplines. The students had to rate the likelihood of them selecting 15 different specialties as a future career according to a five-point Likert scale. Opinions concerning Family Medicine were tested with a yes/no response as to the agreement to five statements. Results: Fifth-year students were excluded due to poor response rate (13.6%). The response rate for the first- to fourth-year groups was 86.4%. Interest in Family Medicine decreased from first to third year (22.4, 21.2 and 14.0%, respectively), but increased again in the fourth year (23.3%). Females and speakers of African languages showed the most interest in this field. Medical students, especially first years, generally had poor knowledge regarding Family Medicine. Conclusion: Family Medicine is not a preferred specialty in any of the four year groups, and students had insufficient knowledge of the field. Family Medicine should be introduced earlier into the medical curriculum. (Full text of the research articles are available online at www.medpharm.tandfonline.com/ojfp) S Afr Fam Pract 2017; DOI: 10.1080/20786190.2017.1317977


2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
O. E. Fasola ◽  
A. O. Alao ◽  
B. A. Ibisola ◽  
A. M. Obimakinde ◽  
I. C. Odekunle

Background: Postgraduate training in Family Medicine in Nigeria began over three decades ago, but it was not until recently that the National University Commission (NUC) made it a policy for all Nigerian universities to include undergraduate Family Medicine training in their curriculum. This study aimed to assess the awareness and perception of Family Medicine among medical students at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of four weeks (June 11–July 6, 2018) among 131 fourth-year, 118 fifth-year and 163 sixth-year medical students at UCH, Ibadan. Data were obtained using a self-administered questionnaire.Results: Data were collected from 309 (75% of the target population). The mean age of the respondents was 22.3 ± 2.3 years. The majority (74.4%) did not have a family member who was a doctor and only 2.3% had a family member who was specialising inFamily Medicine. Most of the participants (68.9%) had good knowledge of Family Medicine, while 57.3% had good perception of Family Medicine as a specialty. Importantly, an increase in year of clerkship was associated with an increase in the knowledge of Family Medicine among the respondents.Conclusion: It was observed that with increase in length of exposure to Family Medicine as a specialty, knowledge and perception of the specialty improved among the medical students. It is imperative that all the medical schools in Nigeria implement the NUC directive and start undergraduate Family Medicine training.


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