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

Abstract

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: 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.