[How junior internists imagine the future of their specialty in France?]

Abstract

Understanding the motivation of physicians to become internist is critical to recruitment efforts within the specialty of internal medicine. A questionnaire was designed by "the French young internist association (FYIA)" to analyze the quality of life of young specialists and their vision of the internal medicine specialty, in France. The questionnaire was administered online to the young internists (resident and junior hospital assistants) who had already chosen the specialty of internal medicine and collated through the FYIA. The majority of young internists in France work more than 60hours per week (57%) and have a very high intellectual interest for their specialty. For 89% of young internists, the specialty field should include management of patients with systemic or rare diseases as well as patients who need hospitalization after their admission from the emergency department. In the context of medical ultraspecialization, and because of a wide medical knowledge and a global approach of the patient's problems, French internists appear as an expert clinician specialist of difficult diagnosis and management of patients with multiple diseases. Because of these specificities, this specialty is attractive for medical students.