Public Health Career : What Choice for the Medical Students? A Comparative Study in Algeria and in France

Context : A medical speciality is entirely dedicated to the Public health (PH) in the 3rd cycle of the medical curriculum following a competitive examination ("ECN" in France, "résidanat" in Algeria).

Objective : To investigate medical students' interest in a career in a public health speciality.

Methods : Between 2009 and 2011, a cross-sectional study was conducted in two cohorts of medical students of 6^th years in Batna and in three cohorts in Rouen. An anonymous auto-questionnaire collected the interest of the students in a public health career and the specialities in PH which are likely to influence the choice towards the career.

Results : A total of 846 students (410 in Batna, 436 in Rouen) were included in the study. The median age was 23.6 years (Standard Deviation=2.3) with a sex-ratio M:F=0.55. Exhaustiveness rate was of 79.6%. The refusal to integrate the PH speciality was categorical for 41.4% of the students in Batna and 53.1% in Rouen (p=0.01). An interest to integrate this speciality was declared respectively by 9.8% and 6.5% of the students in Batna and Rouen (p=0.15). In Batna and Rouen, 2.2% and 3.2% of the students declared to have a well-knowledge of the skills and competencies of PH practitioner (p=0.12). The prevention, research and the international PH were the activities most frequently found like being able to encourage the students to choose this career.

Conclusion : Public health is not a very popular career option for medical students as well in Rouen as in Batna. An urgent reflection for a strategy to improve the visibility of the career a lead in Algeria and France. A significant exposure to PH during medical school in captivating, fascinating ways may lead to greater interest among students to choose a career in PH. Targeted measures may yield more primary career preference in this direction.