Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To find the views of students doing the last year of medicine on the specialty of family and community medicine (FCM). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study through self-administered questionnaire. SETTING: Medical faculties of the Universities of Oviedo and Cantabria. PARTICIPANTS: Sixth-year medical students with possibilities of completing their degrees in the year 2000.Interventions. 22-question multiple-choice questionnaire, including assessment of undergraduate FCM training and view of its inclusion as a subject, choice of specialty in the next residents (MIR) exam, status of FCM, choice of professional to treat common pathologies in primary care, and knowledge of an activity (management of short-term time off) of GPs. MAIN RESULTS: 73% of the 94 medical students polled had no theoretical training in FCM, but 89% were in favour of including it in the degree programme. 6% wanted to work as GPs. 77% thought that the status of FCM was comparable to that of other specialties. The rest thought it was inferior, although its status would rise for half of these if the FCM residency lasted 4 years. 50% would not choose FM to treat common pathologies in primary care. 55% identified the GP as the person empowered to issue sick notes for common illness. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of undergraduate training in FCM is the cause of lack of interest in this specialty among medical students, its lack of status and students' lack of knowledge.