Preference of final year medical students towards family medicine as a career choice: A comparative study from Pakistan

Abstract

Introduction: Career choices by newly graduated doctors play an important role in the provision of health care and for the making of health policies. Family Medicine is not being recognized as a specialty of choice among the health care society. The objective of this study was to see the preference of final year medical students towards family medicine as a career choice and its associated factors. Methodology: This was a cross sectional study conducted among final year medical students of private and government medical colleges who were exposed and not exposed to family medicine teaching, after taking informed consent. Results: Out of a total of 175 students 158 planned to go for specialization. Among them a small number, 16 from government and 4 from a private university, planned to join family medicine residency. The majority (74) from private university believed that there is a difference between general practitioner and family physician. Nearly all of them (75) believed holistic care approach as a main domain of family physicians. All private and few government university students said that Family Medicine should be incorporated as a subject in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Recommendations: Family Medicine is in its infancy stage and requires the dire need to increase its awareness through sessions and seminars among health care professionals. Key words: Family medicine, career choice, medical students