Five Years Of Family Medicine Undergraduate Education In Ghana: A Wake-Up Call!

Abstract

Objectives: Given the introduction in 2008 of undergraduate family medicine in the University of Ghana, the study aimed to identify the perceptions of medical students in Ghana about family medicine with regard to knowledge and relevance as well as specialty preferences. Design: A cross-sectional survey Method: Investigators conducted yearly surveys of first clinical year students at the University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry over a 5-year period (2008-2012) using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data was analysed using the first class group as baseline for comparison. Main outcome measures: Trends in respondents’ awareness of different aspects of family medicine, their attitudes towards the specialty and their expressed preference or lack of preference for family medicine as a potential specialty for themselves. Results: Over the five-year period, 748 of 893 eligible first year students participated which comprised 84% of students. Awareness of family medicine as a medical specialty remained high but insignificantly declined over the period of study (88% to 80%, p=0.058). Preference for family medicine as career choice remained low at 4%, but an increase from 2% baseline though insignificant (p=0.397). The primary reason for not listing family medicine as career choice was unfamiliarity with the specialty (80%). Conclusion: Although awareness of family medicine among medical students in Ghana remains relatively high, their knowledge is insufficient to influence their career decisions for family medicine. This is a wake-up call!