Pregnancy care in family practice: medical student perspectives on specialty and residency selection

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of pregnancy care within family practice on medical students' choices of family practice as a career and to determine the effect the degree of emphasis on pregnancy care has on students' choices of specific residency programs.

Eight hundred and ten randomly selected student members of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and 805 randomly chosen members of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) were sent an 11-item survey that asked how their career (specialty) and specific residency program choice would be affected if family practice residencies included more (or less) training in pregnancy and delivery management.

Fifty-one percent of AAFP members and 37% of AMSA members would be less likely to enter family practice if pregnancy care was eliminated from the specialty. Six percent of AAFP members and 9% of AMSA members stated that they would be more likely to enter family practice if the specialty ceased this training. Students who plan to enter family practice favor a residency program with a stronger pregnancy care experience over a residency program with less emphasis on this training by a 10:1 ratio.

This study shows significant medical student interest in a high level of pregnancy care experience in family practice training programs.