The perceptions of a GP's work among fifth-year medical students in Helsinki, Finland

Abstract

Objective. To explore medical students’ potential interest in family medicine in the future and their perceptions of a GP's work. Design. A cross-sectional survey in 2008–2010. Setting and subjects. Fifth-year medical students prior to their main course in General Practice at the University of Helsinki. Main outcome measures. The students’ opinions regarding the GP's work and their perceptions of the main aims of a GP's work. Results. 309/359 medical students (mean age 25.7 years, 64% females) responded to the survey. Among the students, 76% considered the most attractive feature in the GP's work to be that it is versatile and challenging. The least attractive features included: too hasty, pressing work, too lonely work, and too many non-medical problems. The majority of the students considered the main aim of a GP's work as to identify serious diseases/disorders in order to refer those patients for specialized care (82%). Treatment of chronic diseases is an important responsibility of a GP's work according to 63% of the students. Only 38% considered health promotion to be an important aim. Conclusions. Medical students may have perceptions of the GP's work that influence their career choices to specialize in other fields.