Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2013 Feb, 229(2)

Japanese Medical Students' Interest in Basic Sciences: A Questionnaire Survey of a Medical School in Japan

YUKA YAMAZAKI,¹ TAKANORI UKA,² HARUHIKO SHIMIZU,³ AKIRA MIYAHIRA,³ TATSUO SAKAI⁴ and EIJI MARUI¹

¹Department of Public Health, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
²Department of Neurophysiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
³Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
⁴Department of Anatomy and Life Structure, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

The number of physicians engaged in basic sciences and teaching is sharply decreasing in Japan. To alleviate this shortage, central government has increased the quota of medical students entering the field. This study investigated medical students' interest in basic sciences in efforts to recruit talent. A questionnaire distributed to 501 medical students in years 2 to 6 of Juntendo University School of Medicine inquired about sex, grade, interest in basic sciences, interest in research, career path as a basic science physician, faculties' efforts to encourage students to conduct research, increases in the number of lectures, and practical training sessions on research. Associations between interest in basic sciences and other variables were examined using χ² tests. From among the 269 medical students (171 female) who returned the questionnaire (response rate 53.7%), 24.5% of respondents were interested in basic sciences and half of them considered basic sciences as their future career. Obstacles to this career were their original aim to become a clinician and concerns about salary. Medical students who were likely to be interested in basic sciences were fifth- and sixth-year students, were interested in research, considered basic sciences as their future career, considered faculties were making efforts to encourage medical students to conduct research, and wanted more research-related lectures. Improving physicians' salaries in basic sciences is important for securing talent. Moreover, offering continuous opportunities for medical students to experience research and encouraging advanced-year students during and after bedside learning to engage in basic sciences are important for recruiting talent.

keywords —— basic sciences; career choice; medical student; questionnaire survey; research

© 2013 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2013, 229, 129-136

Correspondence: Yuka Yamazaki, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Public Health, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 1-1-19 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.

e-mail: yuka1767@juntendo.ac.jp