Medical Students' Awareness and Interest towards Family Medicine at a Private Medical College in Karachi

• Published in: Liaquat National Journal of Primary Care 2022-06, Vol.4 (1), p.33-37
• Main Authors: Sannia Perwaiz Iqbal, Navaid Siddiqui, Faryal Gul, Sajid Abbas Jaffri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: career choice; family physicians; health system; medical students
• ISSN: 2707-3521; 2708-9134
• DOI: 10.37184/lnjpc.2707-3521.4.16

Background: Family physicians constitute the fundamental core of the health system in many parts of the world. However, medical students’ diminishing interest in Family Medicine remains a challenge worldwide. Objective: To assess medical students’ awareness of the Family Medicine specialty and their interest towards selecting Family Medicine as a career. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students of a private medical university in Karachi from January 2021 to June 2021. A total of 333 students from all 5 years of Medicine were given a structured self-administered questionnaire assessing their awareness of Family Medicine, and their interest in it as a future career choice. Results: Response rate was 100%. 91% of students had heard of Family Medicine, 80.8% knew it as a recognized specialty. 91.6% knew family physicians treat individuals of all ages and gender. 88.9% knew family physicians provide comprehensive coordinated care. 82.9% agreed Family Medicine should be taught in the undergraduate curriculum. 95.5% think family physicians can change the healthcare system of Pakistan, and 54.1% have interest in Family Medicine as a future career choice. Among the top three specialty choices, General Surgery ranked first, Emergency Medicine ranked second and Family Medicine ranked third. Conclusion: To attract students to choose a career in Family Medicine, it needs to be an essential part of undergraduate medical education. Career counselling, mentorship and role modelling can help foster interest among students in this field.