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Abstract
Students’ beliefs and attitudes towards the medical profession have been studied in relation to career choices, but most research has been restricted to either predetermined aspects or to a limited number of specialities. This study aimed at getting unprompted insight in the students’ perceptions of their future profession in dimensions that may be determinants of study success and career choice. Undergraduate and graduated medical students were interviewed and asked to characterize the medical profession in general and four contrasting specialities in particular. Grounded Theory methodology was used to analyse the data. Participants were medical students at the start of their training (n = 16), during clerkships (n = 10) and after graduation (n = 37). Beginning students perceive the medical profession in limited dimensions: the activities of a physician, their relationship to patients and the physician's knowledge, skills and personality. They do not see many differences between specialities, in contrast with students with clinical experience and graduate students. Undergraduate students’ perception is focussed more on social aspects of the profession compared to graduates.
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Notes on contributors
M.G.H. Nieuwhof(†)
DR M.G.H. NIEUWHOF (†) was senior researcher/consultant at UMC Utrecht, School of Medical Sciences. She deceased in December 2003.
J.J.D.J.M. Rademakers
DR J.J.D.J.M. RADEMAKERS is associate professor at UMC Utrecht, School of Medical Sciences, Center for Research and Development of Education.
M.M. Kuyvenhoven
DR M.M. KUYVENHOVEN is senior lecturer at UMC Utrecht, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care.
M.B.M. Soethout
DR M.B.M. SOETHOUT is education coordinator of the Department of Public and Occupational Health at the Free University Medical Center Amsterdam, Department of Public Health.
Th.J. ten Cate
Professor DR TH. J. TEN CATE is professor of medical education and associate dean of education at UMC Utrecht, School of Medical Sciences, Center for Research and Development of Education.