BACKGROUND: Compared to other specialties, a lower number of medical students contemplate later choosing Family and Community Medicine. At the UP College of Medicine, only a small fraction of graduates pursue residency training in the specialty. A multitude of factors have been shown to have influenced the medical students of specialty considerations.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the Family and Community Medicine curriculum and medical school factors influence third to fifth year students of UP College of Medicine to consider Family and Community Medicine as a future specialty.
METHODOLOGY: UP College of Medicine third to fifth year students during Academic Year 2015-2016 rotating in the Department of Family and Community Medicine from January to June 2016 were asked to participate. A descriptive study design was used. Consideration of Family and Community Medicine was compared from pre- to post- rotation and factors associated with inclination towards residency training in the specialty were examined post-rotation through a questionnaire.
RESULTS: Of the medical students who planned to pursue residency training, 8% had Family and Community Medicine in the top three choices for residency training at the start of the rotation, which increased to 15% at the end of the rotation. Family and Community Medicine as a future specialty was "considered a little" by the three year levels at the start and end of the rotation. Many factors were deemed by the medical students to have no effect on considering the specialty. Some factors were considered to have a strong positive influence on choosing Family and Community Medicine, especially for medical clerks. A few factors were perceived to have a negative influence in considering the specialty.
CONCLUSION: Curriculum and medical school factors have an influence on the consideration of Family and Community Medicine as a future specialty.