Family Medicine in Malawi
Knowledge and Attitudes among Medical Students towards Family Medicine in Malawi GLOBAL HEALTH
Emily Cotter, MD, MPH and Mena Ramos, MD Global Health Fellows, Contra Costa Regional Medical Center / University of California at San Francisco
Background
Results
Conclusions
Malawi: • Among the world’s least developed countries • Population: almost 18 million people • 2 physicians per 100,000 population = critical shortage of human resources for health
•
Nascent field of Family Medicine in Malawi, with poor understanding of its application to health systems in Malawi
•
Strong desire for post-graduate training
•
Little interest in working in rural areas
Family Medicine in Malawi: • First required fourth-year medical student rotation in Family Medicine started 2011 • First cohort of post-graduate trainees in Family Medicine started 2015
•
Critical disconnect between perceived value in training Family Medicine providers and likelihood of medical students pursuing advanced training
•
Most common barriers include not well established specialty, poor financial compensation, and undesirability to work in rural areas
Study Objective: • Pilot study: Explore medical students’ understanding of and attitudes toward Family Medicine as a medical specialty in Malawi • Design of a longitudinal study utilizing surveys of fourth year medical students during 2016-2017 academic year
Future Directions Student Demographics Male
What are barriers to pursuing Family Medicine training in Malawi? (Pre and Post-Rotation Surveys)
•
Collaboration with University of Malawi College of Medicine Family Medicine Department for longitudinal study of all fourth year Malawian medical students in 2016 – 2017 academic year
•
Use of pilot data to enhance current Family Medicine
13 Understaffed
Methods • • •
Pilot study utilizing pre- and post-rotation surveys 19 fourth-year medical students participating in required Family Medicine rotation February – March, 2016
Female
6
Underresourced School fatigue
≤ 21 years old
2
Rural setting Not well established
22 years old 23 years old
8 7
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Lack of prestige Lack of interest Poor $ compensation
≥ 24 years old
2
0
2
4
6
Pre-Rotation Frequency of Responses Post-Rotation Frequency of Responses
8
10
12
College of Medicine in Blantyre, Malawi: Prosper Lutala, MD, MMed; Martha Makwero, MD; Luckson Dullie, MBBS, M Fam Med; John Parks, MD; Ulrika Baker, MD, MSc Contra Costa Regional Medical Center: Neil Jayasekera, MD; Kevin Bergman, MD; Erin Stratta, MD; Ben Huntley, MD UCSF Advisor: Christopher Stewart, MD
Emily Cotter, MD, MPH and Mena Ramos, MD Global Health Fellows, Contra Costa Regional Medical Center / University of California at San Francisco
Background
Results
Conclusions
Malawi: • Among the world’s least developed countries • Population: almost 18 million people • 2 physicians per 100,000 population = critical shortage of human resources for health
•
Nascent field of Family Medicine in Malawi, with poor understanding of its application to health systems in Malawi
•
Strong desire for post-graduate training
•
Little interest in working in rural areas
Family Medicine in Malawi: • First required fourth-year medical student rotation in Family Medicine started 2011 • First cohort of post-graduate trainees in Family Medicine started 2015
•
Critical disconnect between perceived value in training Family Medicine providers and likelihood of medical students pursuing advanced training
•
Most common barriers include not well established specialty, poor financial compensation, and undesirability to work in rural areas
Study Objective: • Pilot study: Explore medical students’ understanding of and attitudes toward Family Medicine as a medical specialty in Malawi • Design of a longitudinal study utilizing surveys of fourth year medical students during 2016-2017 academic year
Future Directions Student Demographics Male
What are barriers to pursuing Family Medicine training in Malawi? (Pre and Post-Rotation Surveys)
•
Collaboration with University of Malawi College of Medicine Family Medicine Department for longitudinal study of all fourth year Malawian medical students in 2016 – 2017 academic year
•
Use of pilot data to enhance current Family Medicine
13 Understaffed
Methods • • •
Pilot study utilizing pre- and post-rotation surveys 19 fourth-year medical students participating in required Family Medicine rotation February – March, 2016
Female
6
Underresourced School fatigue
≤ 21 years old
2
Rural setting Not well established
22 years old 23 years old
8 7
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Lack of prestige Lack of interest Poor $ compensation
≥ 24 years old
2
0
2
4
6
Pre-Rotation Frequency of Responses Post-Rotation Frequency of Responses
8
10
12
College of Medicine in Blantyre, Malawi: Prosper Lutala, MD, MMed; Martha Makwero, MD; Luckson Dullie, MBBS, M Fam Med; John Parks, MD; Ulrika Baker, MD, MSc Contra Costa Regional Medical Center: Neil Jayasekera, MD; Kevin Bergman, MD; Erin Stratta, MD; Ben Huntley, MD UCSF Advisor: Christopher Stewart, MD
