Analysis of The Professional Anxieties of The Intern Physicians Attending The Internship Program For Emergency Medical Service (An Example From Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University)

Purpose: The purpose of this present study is to compare the professional anxieties of the intern physicians who attend the internship program for emergency medical service in the pre- and post-internship period and to explore whether the internship experience for emergency medical service leads to a change in their professional anxieties. Materials and Method: Based on observation, this study was performed with 83 intern physicians at a single medical school in Turkey. The professional anxieties of interns in this study were determined based on the Occupational Anxiety Scale of Emergency Health Professionals. Data were analyzed through the paired samples t-test. Findings: The least anxiety-provoking triggers for the intern physicians in the pre-internship period are as follows: “Not being able to do my profession efficiently as I get older due to the fact that it requires physical activity”, “Risk of being disabled while providing the service”, “Decreased income in case of disability”, “Lack of knowledge and skills among my colleagues”, “Obstacles for transferring patients (narrow aisle, etc.)”, “Unergonomic intervention and transfer equipment.” These triggers were also the least anxiety-provoking triggers in the post-internship period. The most anxiety-provoking triggers for the intern physicians in the pre-internship period are as follows: “Possibility of suffering from physical violence while providing the service”, “Possibility of suffering from verbal violence while providing the service”, “Lack of staff”, “Unethical behaviors that can be encountered while providing the service” and “Patients’ and patient relatives’ prejudice against us.” It is remarkable that these anxieties did not show a downward trend even in the post-internship period. Conclusion: The study concluded that the internship program for emergency medical service attended by the intern physicians did not lead to any change in their anxieties. Further studies may compare the internship program for emergency medical service that intern physicians in other universities take part in and the program in this study in terms of its effect on the concerns of the students. Moreover, it is necessary to review the internship program for emergency medical service for intern physicians and examine its effectiveness. Lastly, the concerns of intern physicians about emergency response can be explored through qualitative research.