Perception of medical students about family medicine in Karachi, Pakistan: Medical students' perception about family medicine.

Abstract

To assess the perceptions of medical students about Family Medicine (FM) as a career choice and to examine if exposure to FM in undergraduate medical curriculum is associated with a positive perception of FM. Cross-sectional study. The study was conducted in four medical universities of Karachi out of which two were public and two were private sectors. From July 2021 to January 20 22. The investigator administered a structured questionnaire in person to the participants. Quantitative data was collected, and descriptive statistics were computed. Association between exposure to FM and perceptions about FM was compared using Chi-squared test. A <i>P</i> value of < 0.05 was considered as significant. A total of 300 students were included; 116 (38.7%) were male. The mean age of participants was 22.8 (±1.7) years. Most (79%) of the participants had a positive perception of FM. Exposure to FM in the undergraduate curriculum (UGC) played a significant role in improving perception, and 80.6% of exposed participants were found to have positive perception. However, there was no association between participants' preference for choosing FM as their career and exposure to FM (not exposed: 35 (31%) vs. exposed: 52 (28%); <i>P</i> = 0.598). Our study highlights the significant impact that exposure to Family Medicine (FM) in undergraduate medical education has on students' perceptions of the specialty. While this exposure generally fosters a positive view of FM, it does not translate into a strong inclination to pursue FM as a career. The primary deterrent identified is the perception of low remuneration associated with the specialty, which remains a critical factor in specialty choice. Addressing these financial concerns may be key to encouraging more students to consider Family Medicine as a viable and rewarding career path.