Attitudes towards community medicine: a comparison of students from traditional and community-oriented medical schools

OBJECTIVE: To compare the attitudes towards community medicine of first and final year students from two Australian medical schools. METHOD: In 1995, medical students from Newcastle University (a problem-based, community-oriented curriculum) and Adelaide University (a more traditional lecture-based curriculum) were asked to complete the Attitudes to Community Medicine questionnaire. This is a valid and reliable 35 item survey assessing six key domains of community medicine. The two medical schools differ in their methods of selection and curriculum delivery, and also in curriculum content. RESULTS: Response rates averaged 95% for first year and 81% for final year students. Students selected into both medical schools were found to have positive attitudes with respect to most aspects of community medicine. However, those entering Newcastle had more positive attitudes toward community medicine overall than their Adelaide counterparts. They also scored more positively on subscales relating to holistic care and evaluation of health care interventions. Students who were older and female scored more positively on some subscales, but correction for age and gender did not change the conclusions about medical school differences. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that selection criteria, and probably curriculum style and emphasis, have an influence on the attitudes that medical students possess and later develop toward community medicine.