Main Article Content
Medical Students' Perspective Towards Their Future Medical Practice
Abstract
Objectives:To evaluate the influencing factors towards choice of the medical profession and attitude towards future medical practice.
Subjects and methods: One hundred thirty four students of the Gondar College of Medical Sciences were included in the study. Data was collected by using self-administered questionnaires.
Results:The majority of the study groups were male, young, Christians and from the urban settings. Thirty-five point one percent of them chose the medical profession due to external influence. Informed decision during choice was found to be statistically associated with desire to practice medicine after graduation.( P= 0.0003). If they are given the chance, only 61(45.5%) of the respondents will choose to study medicine again. Lack of informed choice and unwillingness to choose medicine again was mainly seen among the interns. Forty point two percent from 107 respondents who want to practice medicine after graduation have a strong desire to migrate out of Ethiopia. The commonest reasons for this desire were very low income, lack of modern educational facilities and lack of opportunities for research and further education. A satisfying number of the students want to purse their postgraduate studies-pediatrics being the top choice. Most of the respondents do not accept the current salary of a physician and demand a raise by about 300%.
Conclusion:A lot is expected to be done by the responsible bodies to alleviate the dissatisfying conditions existing in the medical profession.
Key words:Medical education, Attitude, desire, Post graduate studies, Salary
[J Ethiopia Med Pract. 2001:3(2):85-91]
Subjects and methods: One hundred thirty four students of the Gondar College of Medical Sciences were included in the study. Data was collected by using self-administered questionnaires.
Results:The majority of the study groups were male, young, Christians and from the urban settings. Thirty-five point one percent of them chose the medical profession due to external influence. Informed decision during choice was found to be statistically associated with desire to practice medicine after graduation.( P= 0.0003). If they are given the chance, only 61(45.5%) of the respondents will choose to study medicine again. Lack of informed choice and unwillingness to choose medicine again was mainly seen among the interns. Forty point two percent from 107 respondents who want to practice medicine after graduation have a strong desire to migrate out of Ethiopia. The commonest reasons for this desire were very low income, lack of modern educational facilities and lack of opportunities for research and further education. A satisfying number of the students want to purse their postgraduate studies-pediatrics being the top choice. Most of the respondents do not accept the current salary of a physician and demand a raise by about 300%.
Conclusion:A lot is expected to be done by the responsible bodies to alleviate the dissatisfying conditions existing in the medical profession.
Key words:Medical education, Attitude, desire, Post graduate studies, Salary
[J Ethiopia Med Pract. 2001:3(2):85-91]
