Biomaterial Database

Health career orientation of Oregon high school students. 1997

N Elder, and A Taylor, and C E Anderson, and R Virgin

Department of Family Practice, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, USA. eldern@ohsu.edu

OBJECTIVE Because a shortage of physicians for the rural United States persists, it is important to better understand why individuals from rural areas consider careers in medicine. This study assessed and compared rural and urban high school students' interest in careers in medicine. METHODS Students attending presentations given by medical students about health care careers completed a questionnaire given at high schools between 1991-1994. This questionnaire assessed interest in health and medical careers and self-perceived capability to pursue a medical career. RESULTS A total of 924 students attended the presentations and returned questionnaires. Approximately 33% of students expressed an interest in some type of health career. Related to choosing such a career were being female, coming from an urban area, and having had a previous talk about a health care career. Among the 13% of students considering becoming a physician, only being from an urban area or having had a previous talk were related to this choice. Rural students who had received previous talks were more likely to consider health care and medicine careers. CONCLUSIONS Socializing rural high school students to health care and physician careers via structured talks and personal encouragement may increase the number of rural students interested in such careers and help alleviate the shortage of rural health care providers.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007722	Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice	Knowledge, attitudes, and associated behaviors which pertain to health-related topics such as PATHOLOGIC PROCESSES or diseases, their prevention, and treatment. This term refers to non-health workers and health workers (HEALTH PERSONNEL).	Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
D008297	Male		Males
D009922	Oregon	State bounded on the north by Washington, on the east by Idaho, on the south by California and Nevada, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.
D010821	Physicians, Family	Those physicians who have completed the education requirements specified by the American Academy of Family Physicians.	Family Physician,Family Physicians,Physician, Family
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D002321	Career Choice	Selection of a type of occupation or profession.	Career Choices,Choice, Career,Choices, Career
D005194	Family Practice	A medical specialty concerned with the provision of continuing, comprehensive primary health care for the entire family.	Family Practices,Practice, Family,Practices, Family
D005260	Female		Females
D006281	Health Occupations	Professions or other business activities directed to the cure and prevention of disease. For occupations of medical personnel who are not physicians but who are working in the fields of medical technology, physical therapy, etc., ALLIED HEALTH OCCUPATIONS is available.	Health Professions,Health Occupation,Health Profession,Profession, Health,Professions, Health
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man