Attitude of Final Year Medical Students Towards Community Medicine in Ahmadu Bello University; Zaria; Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Background: Several studies were conducted in the past in Nigerian Universities to determine undergraduate medical students' attitudes; aspirations and career preference but none was conducted in Ahmadu Bello University (ABU); Zaria. This study was undertaken to determine final year medical students' attitudes toward Community Medicine. Methodology: The study was cross-sectional and descriptive in design. A total of 94 graduating medical students during the 2006/2007 academic session were invited to participate in the study. All the 94 students were given self-administered structured and closed-ended questionnaire. We collected information on socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents; general and specific attitudes towards Community Medicine (CM); class attendance in Community Medicine; and choice of CM as a field for future specialization. Result: Seventy-two students (76.7) have made up their minds to specialize in a chosen field of Medicine while fourteen (14.4) were undecided. Thirty-five (48.69) students said they could specialize in CM while 19(26.4) cannot. Of the clinical discipline for possible specialization in the future by the whole class; 32(34.0) respondents declared to specialize in Obstetrics et Gynecology; 18(19.1) in Community Medicine 11 (11.7) in surgery. Conclusion: Our finding demonstrated that final year medical student favorably perceived community medicine as a future career