ABSTRACT
Background: One of the strategies adopted to improve interest in family medicine (FM) by many regions was the introduction of undergraduate family medicine training into the Medical School Curriculum. However, medical students’ interest in FM has been reportedly low ranging from 3 – 29%.
Objectives: This study described the pattern of medical students’ specialty choices and assessed factors associated with interest in FM specialization among them.
Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, total sampling of fourth to sixth-year medical students undergoing family medicine rotation as of November 2017 (N= 412) was done. The response rate was 75% (N=309). A pre-validated semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire was utilized to assess factors associated with respondents’ interest in 12 medical specialties including FM.
Results:The respondents were predominantly male (67.3%), with a mean age of 23 (± 7.9) years. Most (83.4%) of them had at least one parent with tertiary school education. Fifteen (4.9%) of the respondents indicated a current interest in specializing in FM while 112 (36.2%) would consider FM in the future. A higher proportion of those with family members with FM specialization (28.6%) expressed current interest in FM while the female gender was associated with future consideration of FM.
Conclusion: There is a low interest in FM specialization among medical students and this may be attributable to the fact that FM undergraduate training is relatively new in Nigeria. Further research on the role of mentorship and preceptorship on specialty choices of medical students needs to be carried out.
Keywords: Family medicine, Medical students, Medical specialties, Nigeria.