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Multicenter Study
. 2025 Apr 8;25(1):498.
doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-07053-6.

Do physicians' children perform differently in medical education? A multi-center field study in China

Ruixi Qin  1 , Jiajia Li  1 , Liangru Zhou  1 , Ruifeng Li  2
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Do physicians' children perform differently in medical education? A multi-center field study in China

Ruixi Qin et al. BMC Med Educ. .

Abstract

Background: Intergenerational transmission refers to the transfer of occupations, knowledge, or skills across generations. There is a consensus in the medical field that children of doctors are more likely to want to become doctors and that doctors from medical families are more likely to be trusted by their patients. This study explores the current state of intergenerational transmission in Chinese medical universities and its impact on students' academic and professional development, which towards more supportive policies for medical manpower development in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods: A survey was conducted among 434 students at the universities of Chinese medicine in Beijing and Nanjing. This study assessed the prevalence of intergenerational transmission and its influence on student competencies in medical thinking, practice, and innovation.

Results: Approximately 18.66% of the students reported intergenerational inheritance of medicine, with 10.37% from direct lineage, 5.07% from collateral lineage, and 3.23% from other relatives. A majority (77.88%) of the respondents believed that doctors' family backgrounds positively impacted the learning and growth of medical students. Students with direct or collateral intergenerational inheritance demonstrated significantly higher innovation ability ([Formula: see text]=12.28, p < 0.05) and medical thinking skills (Coefficient = 9.52,p < 0.05) compared to those without such backgrounds. Regional factors and family inheritance influence students' overall competencies in medical studies.

Conclusions: Nearly one in five students had a family background in medicine, and most recognized its positive impact on their learning. Intergenerational transmission enhances innovation and medical thinking among students. Medical universities should incorporate intergenerational experiences into their training programs and encourage cross-cultural and intergenerational exchanges to develop students' critical thinking skills, practical skills, and innovation capacities.

Keywords: Entropy method; Intergenerational transmission; Medical student; Multi-center field survey.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study involved human participants and was approved by the Ethics Committee of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Before the study began, each participant was provided a written informed consent form. This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards set forth in the Helsinki Declaration (2008). Clinical trial number: not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Evaluation indexes of comprehensive quality
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Schematic diagram of intergenerational transmission of students in Chinese medical universities
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Perceived advantages of intergenerational transmission among students in Chinese medical universities. Note: Figure (a) represented the responses to the question “Are students with intergenerational transmission more advantageous in the education of Chinese medical universities?” in students from different sources of intergenerational transmission. Figure (b) show the percentage of choosing “What are the advantages of intergenerational transmission?” in the students
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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