Primary Care Attitudes & Culture at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix

Abstract

Introduction. There has been prior research that indicate perceptions held by medical students regarding the field of primary care in medicine can change over time, whether through direct intervention or naturally as a consequence of a medical school’s curriculum. However, the currently held beliefs of medical students and faculty at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix (UACOM-P) is unknown. Methods. A cross-sectional study was performed to assess attitudes and beliefs held by members of the UACOM-P community regarding the field of primary care. A Qualtrics survey instrument was developed and distributed to medical students and faculty at UACOM-P in the summer of 2019, with responses from 75 medical students and 33 faculty members. Results. Analysis indicate that there is a generally positive view held by the study population towards primary care, though the strength of endorsement of certain aspects differed between medical students and faculty. There also appeared to be differences between subgroups under both populations, such as Certificate of Distinction versus dual degree students and physician versus non-physician faculty. Discussion. The UACOM-P community has an overall positive attitude toward the field of primary care, with notable differences in some cases. Follow-up studies that may come after this investigation must capture more of the target population and consider impacts of global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic in order to negate potential confounding factors and biases. Future, well designed longitudinal research that assesses how these beliefs change overtime can shed more light on the primary care culture at UACOM-P and can inform campus leadership on future directions to take to support the mission of the program.