*FARAH ASAD MANSURI, **YASMEEN MUMTAZ

ABSTRACT

Background: The need for this research initiated with the fact that in our country there is obvious paucity of experts in the field of public health at present. Moreover the specialists are not available according to the need by the community rather there is a trend of acquiring the parents' field or the one which fascinate the students most. It is imperative to assess undergraduate curriculum during preclinical and clinical years because of its role in setting the mind set of students for their choices of career. Objective: To assess the curriculum of community medicine and to explore the intended career choices by 4th year MBBS students of Karachi Medical and Dental college.

Methodology: A baseline survey carried out in Karachi Medical and Dental College and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, City District Government Karachi.Questionnaires were distributed to 50 students of 4th year MBBS (batch of 2007) at the end of their summative exam and the results were analyzed using descriptive procedures.

Results: Response rate was 88%. Seven percent of the students have parents as doctor and 69% of the students are adequately informed about structure of training program in community medicine and considered it as one of the strengths of subject. Only 54.5% are informed of the correct method of evaluation. Twenty one percent believed that it is a better program than other disciplines while 55 % believed that it is equally comparable with any other subject offered during the current year. Fifty one percent were undecided towards their career plan. Based on these interim findings of few students it was found that the 4th year MBBS students were well versed with the demand of the course of community medicine and according to them it was a structured program offered to them. But they were not motivated or inclined towards public health service. Most of them were undecided for their career choice and insisted upon the introduction of career counseling as a guide for them.

Keywords: Medical students; future career choice; public health

For Full text contact to:
Prof. Dr. Farah Mansuri
editor@annals-ashkmdc.org

*Associate Professor
**Postgraduate trainee Department of Community Health Science, KMDC, Karachi.