The attractiveness of family medicine among Polish medical students.
BACKGROUND
In many developed countries tuning supply and demand of medical doctors is a continuous challenge to meet the ever changing needs of community and individual patients. The long study period for medical doctors creates the opportunity to observe the current career preferences of medical students and evolution in time.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the career choices of Polish students in different stages of their medical education.


METHODS
Medical students at five Polish medical universities were questioned about their career aspirations in the first, third and sixth year.


RESULTS
A total of 2020 students were recruited for the survey. Among first year students 17% preferred family medicine as final career option, compared to 20% in the third year, and 30% in the sixth year (significant trend, P < 0.0001). In particular, female students prefer family medicine: 71% women versus 62% women in the group with a preference for a non-family medicine orientation (P = 0.008). Medical students rejecting a career as a family doctor stated that the impossibility to work in a hospital environment was the determining factor.


CONCLUSIONS
The opportunity for professional development seems to be an important determining factor in the choice of a medical specialty in Poland. The proportion of Polish students choosing family medicine increases during their progress in medical education, with one third of students interested in a career in family medicine by year six.
Department of Family Medicine, University of Medical Sciences Poznan , Poland.
Ewelina
E
Gowin
Wanda
W
Horst-Sikorska
Michał
M
Michalak
Dirk
D
Avonts
Krzysztof
K
Buczkowski
Witold
W
Lukas
Tomasz
T
Korman
Alicja
A
Litwiejko
Sławomir
S
Chlabicz
D002321:Career Choice; D005194:Family Practice / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D012737:Sex Factors; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
career choices; family medicine; medical students