THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SEX AND PROFESSIONAL CAREER ASPIRATIONS AND FIRST-YEAR OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL STUDENTS’ INTENT TO WORK WITH UNDERSERVED

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Objective. We explored the association of medical student’s sex and choice for future medical practice specialty with intent to work with underserved patients. Background. Fewer medical students are moving into primary care and the retention of physicians in medically underserved communities is declining. While the osteopathic medical school curricula is promotes primary care practice, most medical students desire to be in esteemed specialties. Methods. A cross-sectional, correlational research design was used to determine the association of student’s sex and choice of future specialty on intentions to provide care to underserved groups. Data were collected from 239 first-year OMS. Participants completed the Medical Student Attitudes toward the Underserved (MSATU) questionnaire via a pen-and-paper. Chi- square tests were performed using SPSS. Results. Roughly half the sample were men. Chi-square tests showed that higher intentions to work with the underserved was associated with being female, X2(1, N = 237) = 12.07, p < .01. Also, a relationship between sex and future medical specialty practice choices: women chose pediatrics X2(1, N = 237) = 21.1, p < .01; men chose surgical medicine X2(1, N = 237) = 5.42, p < .01. Choice of pediatrics was associated with more intent to treat the underserved; surgical medicine was associated with less intent. Conclusion. Medical students’ sex might influence future career choice and intentions to work in medically underserved communities. Findings from this study could help guide academic programming efforts that encourage all students to pursue primary care medicine in underserved areas where the need is great. Grants. This study was funded by a grant from Nova Southeastern University