De ideale arts: het beroepsbeeld van medische studenten

To investigate the view medical students have of the medical profession.

Design

Cross sectional study of year cohorts, Utrecht.

Method

The attitudes of 445 medical students towards the ‘ideal physician’ were studied. It is often assumed that medical students‘ attitudes change to a less care-oriented direction as they proceed in their education. It is also assumed that female students’ attitudes are more care-oriented than male students‘ attitudes. Traits of the ideal physician were described in a scale of 18 care-versus cure oriented items. Validity and reliability of the measuring instrument were sufficient. The scores of preclinical and clinical, male and female students were obtained.

Results

Contrary to expectation, ideals of clinical students were more care-oriented than ideals of beginning students. In general, students‘ ideals were neutral to slightly care-oriented. As was expected, female students’ ideals were more care-oriented than male students‘ ideals.

Conclusion

Medical students did not lose their slightly care-oriented ideals as they progressed. Female students held more care-oriented attitudes than their male colleagues.

Samenvatting

Doel

Onderzoeken van het beroepsbeeld van 445 medische studenten.

Opzet

Transversaal onderzoek van verschillende jaarklassen.

Plaats

Utrecht.

Methode

Gebruik werd gemaakt van een ‘ideale arts’-schaal, waarin de ideale arts wordt omschreven met 18 ‘care’- versus ‘cure’-gerichte kenmerken (verschillende aspecten van de beroepsuitoefening). Verschillen tussen de scores van jongerejaars- en ouderejaarsstudenten en tussen mannelijke en vrouwelijke studenten werden geanalyseerd.

Resultaten

De studenten schreven aan de ideale arts neutrale tot licht care-gerichte kenmerken toe. Men neemt meestal aan dat de attitude van ouderejaarsstudenten minder care-gericht is dan van jongerejaars. In tegenstelling tot deze hypothese bleek de ideale arts van ouderejaars niet minder, maar juist meer care-gerichte kenmerken te vertonen. De ideale arts van vrouwelijke studenten bleek meer care-kenmerken te vertonen dan die van de mannelijke studenten, in overeenstemming met de uitgangshypothese.