Elucidation of the social background of medical students in Japan

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20H03909
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 58010:Medical management and medical sociology-related
• Research Institution: Gifu University
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Yasuyuki 岐阜大学, 医学部, 特任教授 (90154559)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 武田 裕子 順天堂大学, 医学部, 教授 (70302411) ; 恒川 幸司 岐阜大学, 医学部, 助教 (70556646) ; 西城 卓也 岐阜大学, 医学部, 教授 (90508897)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 医学生 / 人材育成 / 社会経済格差

Outline of Final Research Achievements

An anonymous web survey was conducted among medical students in Japan regarding their socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. Medical students were much higher than the general student population, with 25.6% coming from families with annual household incomes of 18 million yen or more, 33.2% being the children of doctors, and 52% having graduated from a private upper secondary school. A qualitative analysis of citizens' and educators' perceptions of these results identified 20 themes related to family background and 12 themes related to social background. Citizens were a mixture of "as expected" and "surprised" about the family and social backgrounds of medical students that deviated from civic perceptions. It was seen that educators are also aware of the family and social background of medical students and recognize it as an issue that needs to be improved.

Free Research Field

医学教育学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は我が国における医学生の出身家庭の社会経済的背景を明らかにした初めての研究であり、一般大学生や他の医療系学生に比べて特異な背景を持っていること、それに対して、一般市民も教育関係者も是正すべき課題であると認識していることを明らかにした。本研究の成果は、将来の我が国の医療を担う医師育成のための人材選抜について、さらなる検討が必要であることを示唆している。また、本研究の成果は、医師育成にとどまらず、広く高等教育や社会格差の課題に対する貴重な情報を提供するものである。