In-Field Survey of Attractions and Repulsions of Family Medicine: Family Physicians’ and Medical Students’ Attitudes

Background and Objectives: Health considered as a basic right in many communities and this implies that governments are responsible for providing equal access to healthcare services and facilities. In 4th Iran’s Economic, Social and Cultural development plan emphasis is on developing a health insurance based on Family Medicine and Referral System. The family medicine plan was applied in rural and urban areas with less than 20,000 populations. Although currently more than 5000 physicians and 4000 midwives are employed for this plan, there is no comprehensive evaluation of this plan. Materials and Methods: This Cross-sectional study surveyed the family physicians’ and medical intern students’ attitude to family medicine. 47 family physicians and 80 medical students filled out a researcher-made questionnaire. This Questionnaire contained questions in nine dimensions of economic, environmental, organizational, educational, sociocultural, psychological, financial, occupational and personal. Independent T-test, Hotelling Trace, MAnova and Tukey tests performed for data analysis using SPSS. Results: The economic–comfort  dimension and environmental- psychological dimension rated by family physicians as highest (3.83) and lowest (2.25) respectively. Medical students rated financial-occupational dimension and environmental-psychological dimension as highest (3.91) and lowest (2.20) respectively. There were significant differences in scores allocated to any of nine dimensions by physicians and number of years passed graduation.  There was a significant relationship between scores of personal-psychological dimensions and age of respondents. Conclusion: For comprehensiveness of study, two study groups were selected to participate family physicians who currently employed and medical students who will be employed later in this plan. Number of years passed graduation and age have the most impact on respondents’ attitudes.