Table 1 Characteristics of GP candidates and non-GP candidates among Japanese medical student
Total (N = 1264) | GP (N = 405) | Non-GP (N = 846) | |
|---|---|---|---|
Demographics; no. (%) of students | |||
Age, median (range), years | 24 (23–58) | 24 (23–58) | 24 (23–52) |
Sex (male) | 838 (66.3) | 274 (67.2) | 564 (65.9) |
Hometown | |||
Urban | 267 (21.1) | 72 (17.7) | 195 (22.8) |
Relatively urban | 287 (22.7) | 102 (25) | 185 (21.6) |
Relatively rural | 401 (31.7) | 130 (31.9) | 271 (31.7) |
Rural | 309 (24.5) | 104 (25.5) | 205 (24) |
Other academic or professional experiences prior to medical school | 286 (22.6) | 102 (25) | 184 (21.5) |
Physician parent | 406 (32.1) | 114 (27.9) | 292 (34.1) |
Intent to inherit existing practice | 143 (11.3) | 55 (13.5) | 88 (10.3) |
Career prioritiesa; mean (SD) | |||
Mastering advanced procedures | 4.83 (1.00) | 4.60 (1.03) | 4.93 (0.97) |
Work life balance | 4.89 (0.93) | 4.90 (0.89) | 4.89 (0.95) |
Frequent patient communication | 4.82 (0.89) | 5.01 (0.82) | 4.73 (0.91) |
Opening own clinic | 3.33 (1.35) | 3.48 (1.34) | 3.26 (1.35) |
Involvement in preventive medicine | 4.06 (1.13) | 4.40 (1.04) | 3.90 (1.14) |
Involvement in terminal care | 3.77 (1.15) | 4.06 (1.03) | 3.63 (1.17) |
Acute care rather than chronic care | 4.11 (1.06) | 3.96 (1.02) | 4.18 (1.07) |
Not treat patients with psychosocial problems | 2.75 (1.19) | 2.50 (1.14) | 2.87 (1.19) |
Income | 4.17 (1.00) | 4.04 (1.08) | 4.23 (0.96) |
Access to advanced medical fields | 4.28 (0.98) | 4.06 (0.97) | 4.39 (0.96) |
Clinical diagnostic reasoning | 4.31 (1.00) | 4.60 (0.95) | 4.17 (0.99) |
Depth rather than breadth of practice | 3.97 (1.02) | 3.64 (0.97) | 4.13 (1.01) |
Involvement in global health | 3.37 (1.13) | 3.45 (1.13) | 3.32 (1.12) |
Community-oriented practice | 4.09 (1.05) | 4.47 (0.98) | 3.91 (1.03) |