Medical Student Results

The following questionnaire was presented to and completed by medical students in Canada in 2004. Please review the questionnaire and use your cursor to click on those questions for which you wish to view results.

Demographics for Medical Students

Please complete this questionnaire if you are a MEDICAL STUDENT attending a Canadian University.  Please indicate your current status.
           
            ؎ 1st year student
            ؎ 2nd year student
            ؎ 3rd year student
            ؎ 4rth year student
            ؎ Other. Please specify________________________________

If you are not a medical student, please indicate your status below.
            ؎ Medical resident
            ؎ Physician in practice
            ؎ Other ________________________________________

A. Training

1. How many years of POST-SECONDARY education did you complete before beginning medical school? (Quebec students: Please do not include CEGEP).
0            1            2            3            4            5            6            7            8            9            10            >10

2. Beyond secondary school, what degrees/ diplomas did you complete prior to entering medical school?     Please check ALL that apply.

؎ None

              ؎ Diplome d’étude collegial (CEGEP)         

              ؎ Bachelor’s       

              ؎ Master’s            Please specify field/discipline: __________________________       

              ؎ Doctorate          Please specify field/discipline: __________________________       
              ؎ Other  ________________________________________

 3.  At which university are you currently doing your medical training?
            ؎ University of British Columbia
            ؎ University of Calgary
            ؎ University of Alberta
            ؎ University of Saskatchewan
            ؎ University of Manitoba
            ؎ University of Western Ontario
            ؎ McMaster University
            ؎ University of Toronto
            ؎ University of Ottawa
            ؎ Queen’s University
            ؎ Université de Sherbrooke
            ؎ Université de Montréal
            ؎ McGill University
            ؎ Université Laval
            ؎ Dalhousie University
            ؎ Memorial University

4. Are you presently enrolled in a ‘return of service’ program, that is, a program where you have committed yourself to certain practice restrictions [location, specialty, employer, military service, armed forces, etc.] in return for financial compensation during medical school or residency?
 ؎ Yes    ؎ No

B.          Future Practice/Work Setting Profile

5.  At this time, do your future medical career plans include going into practice (patient care)?

؎ Yes               If YES, please indicate:   ؎ Family Physician  ؎ Other Specialist   ؎ Unsure 
؎ No             (If NO, SKIP to #7)     
؎ Unsure

6.  At this time, do your future medical career plans include any of the following?

a)  Practicing within the same province or territory in which you are currently training?
؎ Yes              ؎ No             ؎ Unsure
b) Practicing in another province or territory in Canada?           
؎ Yes              ؎ No             ؎ Unsure           If yes, please specify province or territory: ___________
c) Leaving Canada to practise in another country?
؎ Yes              ؎ No             ؎ Unsure
d) Serving an under-serviced community?
 ؎ Yes              ؎ No             ؎ Unsure

7. If you had to choose your career today, which of the following would you choose?
Check ALL that apply.

            ؎ Patient care  
            ؎ Research
            ؎ Teaching
            ؎ Governmental agency (e.g. armed forces, medical health officer, Health Canada, etc.)
            ؎ Other (please specify) ________________

C.      Future Professional Income

8. If you had a choice, how would you prefer to be paid for your services as a physician? 
Please check ONLY ONE.

؎	Unsure
؎	Fee-for-service only
؎	Salary only
؎	Capitation only
؎	Sessional/ per diem/ hourly payments only
؎	Service contract only
؎	Blended payment

            IF BLENDED, what components would you want included?  Check ALL that apply

؎	Fee-for-service
؎	Salary
؎	Capitation
؎	Sessional/ per diem/ hourly payments
؎	Service contract
؎	Benefits/ pension
؎	On-call remuneration beyond fee-for-service
؎	Other  _______________________
؎	Unsure

 
 

 

 
 
 

 

D.      Finances

9. How much did being able to afford the tuition and other fees affect which medical school(s) you chose to apply to?
Not at all                                                                      Most important factor
O                     O                     O                     O                     O
10. How much did being able to afford to live in the city where the school was located affect which medical school(s) you chose to apply to?
Not at all                                                                      Most important factor
O                     O                     O                     O                     O
11. How much will the amount of debt that you may have once you graduate affect your choice of specialty?
Not at all                                                                      Most important factor
O                     O                     O                     O                     O                     OUnsure         
12. How much will the earning potential of the specialty affect your choice of specialty?
Not at all                                                                      Most important factor
O                     O                     O                     O                     O                     OUnsure

13. How much will the amount of debt that you may have once you graduate affect your choice of practice location?

Not at all                                                                      Most important factor
O                     O                     O                     O                     O                     OUnsure

14. How much do you anticipate spending this year on necessary daily living expenses - i.e. transportation, housing, food, etc. -(this excludes expenses such as entertainment or holidays)?
$ ________

15. Please indicate in which of the following activities (if any) you were involved for at least one week during this past summer? Please check ALL that apply.
؎ Required university educational activities
؎ Preparing for licensing examinations
           ؎ Informal clinical electives (unpaid)
           ؎ Rural clinical elective for which you were financially compensated
           ؎ Unpaid research
           ؎ Paid research
           ؎ Other paid employment
           ؎ Volunteer work
           ؎ Travel
           ؎ Other ____________________________________________________

16. Have you held any paying jobs (part-time, occasional, etc.) during the current academic year?
           ؎ Yes               ؎ No
If yes, approximately how many hours of work per month?    _______ hours/month

17. Please indicate the amount of debt you had and/or expect to have at various times in your medical education, as indicated below. Please separate these into 1) debt directly related to being in medical school (tuition, books, accommodations, etc.), and 2) other debt (personal, mortgage, car loan, etc.) 

a) Debt upon entering medical school                      
Debt directly related to                                 Other
Being in medical school                                Debt
؎ no debt                                                         ؎ no debt                                
؎ less than $1,000                                           ؎ less than $1,000                    
؎ $1,001 to $5,000                                          ؎ $1,001 to $5,000                   
؎ $5,001 to $10,000                                        ؎ $5,001 to $10,000                 
؎ $10,001 to $20,000                                      ؎ $10,001 to $20,000                
؎ $20,001 to $40,000                                      ؎ $20,001 to $40,000                
؎ $40,001 to $60,000                                       ؎ $40,001 to $60,000                
؎ $60,001 to $80,000                                       ؎ $60,001 to $80,000                
؎ $80,001 to $100,000                                     ؎ $80,001 to $100,000              
؎ $100,001 to $120,000                                  ؎ $100,001 to $120,000          
؎ $120,001 to $140,000                                  ؎ $120,001 to $140,000          
؎ $140,001 to $160,000                                  ؎ $140,001 to $160,000                                  
؎ Over $160,000                                              ؎ Over $160,000
؎ I prefer not to provide this information          ؎ I prefer not to provide this information

b) Current Debt
Debt directly related to                                 Other
Being in medical school                                 Debt
؎ no debt                                                         ؎ no debt                                
؎ less than $1,000                                           ؎ less than $1,000                    
؎ $1,001 to $5,000                                           ؎ $1,001 to $5,000                   
؎ $5,001 to $10,000                                         ؎ $5,001 to $10,000                 
؎ $10,001 to $20,000                                       ؎$10,001 to $20,000                
؎ $20,001 to $40,000                                        ؎ $20,001 to $40,000                
؎ $40,001 to $60,000                                        ؎ $40,001 to $60,000                
؎ $60,001 to $80,000                                        ؎ $60,001 to $80,000                
؎ $80,001 to $100,000                                      ؎ $80,001 to $100,000              
؎ $100,001 to $120,000                                   ؎ $100,001 to $120,000          
؎ $120,001 to $140,000                                  ؎ $120,001 to $140,000          
؎ $140,001 to $160,000                                  ؎ $140,001 to $160,000                           
؎ Over $160,000                                               ؎ Over $160,000
؎ I prefer not to provide this information           ؎ I prefer not to provide this information

c) Debt upon completion of medical school
Debt directly related to                                 Other
Being in medical school                                 Debt
؎ no debt                                                         ؎ no debt                                
؎ less than $1,000                                           ؎ less than $1,000                    
؎ $1,001 to $5,000                                           ؎ $1,001 to $5,000                   
؎ $5,001 to $10,000                                         ؎ $5,001 to $10,000                 
؎ $10,001 to $20,000                                       ؎$10,001 to $20,000                
؎ $20,001 to $40,000                                        ؎ $20,001 to $40,000                
؎ $40,001 to $60,000                                        ؎ $40,001 to $60,000                
؎ $60,001 to $80,000                                        ؎ $60,001 to $80,000                
؎ $80,001 to $100,000                                      ؎ $80,001 to $100,000              
؎ $100,001 to $120,000                                   ؎ $100,001 to $120,000          
؎ $120,001 to $140,000                                   ؎ $120,001 to $140,000          
؎ $140,001 to $160,000                                   ؎ $140,001 to $160,000                                  
؎ Over $160,000                                               ؎ Over $160,000
؎ I prefer not to provide this information           ؎ I prefer not to provide this information

18. How much total financial assistance do you expect to receive in the form of non-repayable gifts or grants for this academic year? (round off to the nearest $100)
           
           ؎ Government grants: $ ________
           ؎ University or faculty grants or bursaries: $  ________

           ؎ Scholarships and awards: $ ________

           ؎ Family contributions: $ ________
           ؎ Other grants or gifts: $ ________
           ؎ None
           ؎ I prefer not to provide this information

19. To what extent do you believe that the amount of financial assistance available to you through grants and loans from either the government or university institutions, meets your actual financial need?
؎ Meets my financial need       
؎ Partially meets my financial need       
؎ Does not meet my financial need       
؎ I have no need for financial assistance

20. Which of the following best describes your financial situation? Please check ONLY ONE.
؎ Not stressful – my financial situation is not a problem for me
؎ Minimally stressful (I think about it occasionally)
؎ Fairly stressful (I think about it quite a bit and have to consciously mind what I buy)
؎ Very stressful (I worry about it frequently)
؎ Extremely stressful (I worry about it constantly – this is a major source of stress in my life)

21a. Have you sought financial counseling through your medical school?
؎ Yes   ؎ No   

21b. Do you plan to seek financial counseling through your medical school?
؎ Yes   ؎ No    ؎ Don’t know

E.      Demographics

22. Of all of the possible careers, what led you to select medicine? 
        Please check ALL that apply

A	؎	Intellectual stimulation/ challenge	F	؎	Earning potential
B	؎	Doctor-patient relationship	G	؎	Research opportunities
C	؎	Influence of a mentor	H	؎	Teaching opportunities
D	؎	Influence of my family	I	؎	Other _____________
E	؎	Prestige

23. When did you decide that you would like to be a doctor?

	؎	Before high school
	؎	During high school
	؎	During undergraduate college or university studies
	؎	After completing an undergraduate degree/ college diploma
	؎	Other ____________________________________________

24. Do you have a PDA (personal digital assistant/ wireless device)?         ؎ Yes  ؎ No

25. Marital status. Please check ONE only.

	؎	Single
	؎	Separated, divorced or widowed
	؎	Married / Living with partner
		Is your spouse/ partner a:  ؎ Physician         ؎  Other health care provider     ؎ Neither

 
26. Do you have children or other dependents for whom you personally provide care/ supervision?

	؎	No
	؎	Yes	If yes, do you have major responsibility for the care of these individuals?
			؎    Yes	؎     No
			If these are children, what is the age of the youngest?  _____ years old

27. Select the ONE statement which best describes the environment in which you grew up prior to university.

	؎	Exclusively/ predominantly rural
	؎	Exclusively/ predominantly small town
	؎	Exclusively/ predominantly urban
	؎	Mixture of environments

28. Please enter the first three digits of the postal code where you lived in your final year of high school. If you lived at a boarding school, please enter the postal code of where your family lived during that year. If you did not live in Canada, please indicate the country where you lived.
If in Canada, first three digits of postal code: ___ ___ ___
If not in Canada, type in the country: _______________________________

29. In which province(s) or territories did you grow up prior to going to university?
Indicate ALL that apply.
BC    AB    SK    MB    ON    QC    NB    NS    PE    NL    NT    YT    NU    Outside of Canada

30. What certificates, diplomas, or degrees did your parents obtain?
      Please check ALL that apply.

	Father	Mother
None	؎	؎
High school graduate or equivalent	؎	؎
Trades certificate or diploma	؎	؎
Other non-university certificate or diploma (community college, CEGEP, technical institute, etc.)	؎	؎
University certificate or diploma, below Bachelor’s degree level	؎	؎
Bachelor's degree(s) (e.g., B.A., B.Sc., LL.B.)	؎	؎
University certificate or diploma above Bachelor’s degree level	؎	؎
Master's degree(s) (e.g., M.A., M.Sc., M.Ed.)	؎	؎
Graduate degree in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or optometry (M.D., D.D.S., D.M.D., D.V.M., O.D.)	؎	؎
Doctorate (e.g., Ph.D., D.Sc., D.Ed.) (not honourary)	؎	؎
I prefer not to provide this information	؎	؎

31. Please indicate the category that best applies to your parents’ occupations. If your parents are retired or deceased, please provide their main occupations while working. 

	Father	Mother
Manual laborer	O	O
Farmer or farm laborer	O	O
Skilled craft, trade, clerical, sales or service	O	O
Foreman/woman, supervisor, or middle manager	O	O
Technician or semi-professional	O	O
High-level management	O	O
Employed professional	O	O
Self-employed professional	O	O
Not applicable	O	O
I prefer not to provide this information	O	O

32. Which of the following describe your family members? If your parents or siblings are retired or deceased, please provide their main occupations while working. 
Please check ALL that apply.

	Father	Mother	Sibling(s)
Medical doctor	O	O	O
Nurse	O	O	O
Pharmacist	O	O	O
Other healthcare professional	O	O	O
None of the above	O	O	O

33. What is your best estimate of the total income, before taxes and deductions, of your parental household in the last 12 months? If your parents are divorced or separated, please enter the household income of the parent who supports or supported you most.
؎ $zero
؎less than $10,000
؎$10,000 - $19,999
؎$20,000 - $39,999
؎$40,000 - $59,999
؎$60,000 - $79,999
؎$80,000 - $99,999
؎$100,000 - $119,999
؎$120,000 - $139,999
؎$140,000 - $159,999
؎$160,000 - $179,999
؎$180,000 - $219,999
؎$220,000 - $259,999
؎$260,000 - $299,999
؎More than $300,000
؎ I prefer not to provide this information
؎ I don’t know

34. What is your ethnic/ cultural background? Please check ALL that apply.

            ؎ White
            ؎ Aboriginal (e.g., status, non-status, Métis, Inuit)
            ؎ Chinese
            ؎ South Asian (e.g., East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, etc.)
            ؎ Black
            ؎ Filipino
            ؎ Latin American
            ؎ Southeast Asian (e.g., Cambodian, Indonesian, Laotian, Vietnamese, etc.)
            ؎ Arab
            ؎ West Asian (e.g., Afghan, Iranian, etc.)
            ؎ Japanese
            ؎ Korean
            ؎ Other ____________
            ؎ I prefer not to provide this information

35. Please indicate the languages that you could comfortably speak with your future patients.

؎

English

؎

French

؎

Other(s) ____________________

36. Were you born in Canada?
O Yes
O No.  Please indicate your status in Canada.
O Canadian citizen              
O Permanent resident (landed immigrant)                       
O Other _____________

37. Your year of birth:         19

_

_

38.   Sex:              male  ؎        female   ؎
39.            Comments