[Are Danish medical students concerned about their future job? A questionnaire study]

Knowledge about the thoughts of Danish medical students regarding their job future is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate whether medical students are concerned about their future work, and if so, to describe the types of concerns they have, to what degree they are concerned, possible reasons for and consequences of their concerns; furthermore, to evaluate if gender and semester influate on the concerns.

A questionnaire was developed based on focus group interviews with medical students. The questionnaire was sent to 596 medical students from 3rd, 8th, and 13th semester at Copenhagen University.

The response rate was 69.9%. A substantial number of students (47-90%) were very concerned or concerned to a certain degree with regard to aspects of working life that related to the patient and working conditions. A positive relation was seen between being highly concerned or concerned to a certain degree and daily or often worrying. Possible causes of the concerns were related to their experience through their clinical stays, the curriculum, comments about the job made by medical doctors and others and their own personality. Every sixth student had considered leaving university or refraining from entering clinical training due to these concerns.

Medical students from 3rd, 8th, and 13th semester are concerned about their future work, especially in relation to the patient, regarding, for example, the risk of committing an error or being incompetent in relation to practical skills, but also work-related concerns are mentioned.