Doctor-patient interaction in Finnish primary health care as perceived by first year medical students (original) (raw)
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The perceptions of a GP's work among fifth-year medical students in Helsinki, Finland
Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, 2012
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 infl uence their career choices to specialize in other fi elds.
Patient and preceptor attitudes towards teaching medical students in General Practice
Background: Curricula in most western medical universities include teaching in the primary care setting as core elements. This affects GP-teachers, their patients and their interaction. Therefore, it was the aim of this study to assess the influence of the presence of medical students in the teaching practice on the attitudes of both GPs and patients. Methods: Seventy-four GP-preceptors were invited to answer an online survey. Patients attending consultations with a medical student present completed questionnaires either before the consultation (WR group) or immediately after consultation (AC group). Results: Fifty- nine preceptors completed the online survey. Physicians showed positive attitudes towards their activities as preceptors: 95% expressed a positive attitude predominantly towards being a role model and to represent the discipline and for 64% remuneration was not important. In 28 practices 508 questionnaires were completed by patients in the WR-group and 346 by the AC-group. Only 12% (WR) and 7.2% (AC) of patients expressed a preference for being seen by the doctor alone. While 16% of doctors rated that confidentiality of the doctor-patient relationship is compromised, only 4.1% (WR) and 1.7% (AC) of patients felt so. Conclusion: The motivation to be a preceptor is primarily driven by personal and professional values and not by economic incentives. Further, patients have even more positive attitudes than the preceptors towards the presence of students during their consultation. Reservations to teaching students in GP-practices are, therefore, unwarranted.
International journal of medical education, 2014
The aim of the study was to investigate medical students' views on general practice based on their experiences in training, and to find out whether there were certain views associated with the intention to become a GP. A questionnaire, based on our earlier studies about GP working behaviour, was handed out to medical students in terms 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 11 of undergraduate studies in Gothenburg, Sweden. The analysis comprised statistical descriptions and comparisons. The students regarded general practice positively. They found the work environment good, the GP's awareness of patients' living conditions necessary, and that GP work requires medical breadth. The status of the GP in the medical profession was not considered high. One-fourth of the students strongly agreed with the possibility of a future as a GP. This attitude was statistically associated with support to the statements that general practice offers a good work environment and should be a major component in u...
How medical students learn in primary care
The Clinical Teacher, 2018
Background: General practice placements are important in medical education, but little is known about positive student experiences. Methods: Focus group interviews were conducted with medical students. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically and incorporated into an overarching conceptual framework. Results: Of the 22 eligible students, 21 students participated. Students viewed positively
Attitudes of medical students to general practice: a multinational cross-sectional survey
Family Practice, 2020
Background A shortage of general practitioners (GPs) is common to many European countries. To counteract this, it is essential to understand the factors that encourage or discourage medical students from choosing to become a GP Objective To evaluate medical students’ attitudes towards general practice and to identify factors that discourage them from considering a career as a GP. Methods In this multinational cross-sectional online survey, 29 284 students from nine German, four Austrian and two Slovenian universities were invited to answer a questionnaire consisting of 146 closed and 13 open-ended items. Results Of the 4486 students that responded (response rate: 15.3%), 3.6% wanted to become a GP, 48.1% were undecided and 34.6% did not want to be a GP. Significant predictors for interest in becoming a GP were higher age [odds ratio (OR) = 1.06; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02–1.10], positive evaluation of the content of a GP’s work (OR = 4.44; 95% CI = 3.26–6.06), organizationa...
BMC Family Practice, 2016
Background: Switzerland is facing an impending primary care workforce crisis since almost half of all primary care physicians are expected to retire in the next decade. Only a minority of medical students choose a primary care specialty, further deepening the workforce shortage. It is therefore essential to identify ways to promote the choice of a primary care career. The aim of the present study was to explore students' views about the undergraduate primary care teaching curriculum and different teaching formats, and to evaluate the possible impact of these views on students' perceptions of primary care. Methods: We surveyed fifth year medical students from the Medical Faculties in Geneva and Lausanne, Switzerland (n = 285) with a four sections electronic questionnaire. We carried out descriptive analyses presented as frequencies for categorical data, and means and/or medians for continuous data. Results: The response rate was 43 %. Overall, primary care teaching had a positive impact on students' image of primary care. In Lausanne, primary care curricular components were rated more positively than in Geneva. Curricular components that were not part of the primary care teaching, but were nevertheless cited by some students, were frequently perceived as having a negative impact. Conclusions: The primary care curriculum at Lausanne and Geneva Universities positively influences students' perceptions of this discipline. However, there are shortcomings in both the structure and the content of both the primary care and hidden curriculum that may contribute to perpetuating a negative image of this specialization.
Education for primary care, 2020
Background: Despite several studies focusing on the negative aspects of general medicine, the speciality seems attractive for students. Researchers from the European General Practice Research Network created a group to study job satisfaction in general practice. The aim of this eight-country European study was to determine which positive view students have about general practice. Method: Systematic review of the literature from Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane databases. Articles published between 01/01/2000 and 12/31/2018 were searched and analysed by two researchers working blind. The data on satisfaction factors were extracted from the full text article used as verbatims. Then the data were coded with a thematic analysis. Results: 24 articles out of 414 were selected. Satisfaction factors were classified: teaching of general practice, workplace and organisational freedom, quality of life, variety in practice, workload balance and income. The analysis highlighted intellectual stimulation and the relationship built with patients and other professionals. Conclusion: Literature on the appeal of general practice for students revealed many factors of job satisfaction in general practice. It is possible to create a global view of a satisfied GP on the students' opinion. Courses and clerkships in general practice with positive role models are determining factors in career choice.