General Practice and career intentions among Italian medical students: a national multicentre study

Background

Primary Health Care-oriented systems are associated with improved health outcomes and sustainability, yet General Practice (GP) faces a growing workforce shortage across Europe. In Italy, recruitment into GP remains critical. This study aims to investigate career intentions and their determinants among medical students at a national level, with a focus on GP.

Methods

The study builds on a pilot conducted at the University of Milan. A multicentre cross-sectional study is currently ongoing among fifth- and sixth-year medical students in Italian medical schools. Universities were recruited through a national student network. Data are collected via an anonymous online questionnaire exploring demographics, career intentions, exposure to primary care, and determinants of career choice. Multivariable logistic regression models accounting for clustering by university will be used to identify determinants of career intention.

Results

In the pilot study (n = 359), only 2.2% of students selected GP as their preferred career. Interest was higher among students with primary care internship experience and among those valuing community-based work and professional autonomy (p < 0.05). Most students reported insufficient academic exposure to GP. The national study will extend these findings by providing estimates of GP career interest and identifying educational and contextual determinants across different training settings.

Conclusions

This study will provide the first national assessment of medical students’ interest in GP in Italy, building on preliminary pilot evidence. Understanding how educational and contextual factors influence career choices is essential to inform curriculum development and workforce planning, ultimately supporting the sustainability of primary care systems.

Key messages

• Interest in General Practice among Italian medical students is extremely low and strongly associated with exposure to community-based training and professional autonomy.

• Strengthening early, high-quality primary care placements and visible role models within medical curricula may represent a key strategy to improve workforce sustainability.