Higher levels of self-efficacy and readiness for a future career of Spanish speaking physician assistant students after their volunteer work in a student-run free clinic in the United States

J Educ Eval Health Prof. 2019:16:27. doi: 10.3352/jeehp.2019.16.27. Epub 2019 Sep 6.

Abstract

Volunteering at a free clinic may influence career choice amongst health profession students. The purpose of this research is to explore knowledge, skill, attitudes, self-efficacy, interest in future work with the underserved, and interest in primary care amongst physician assistant (PA) students through the analysis of demographic characteristics of PA students at a student-run free clinic in the United States. Data were collected from 56 PA students with a quantitative survey collection in October 2018 after their participation at a student-run free clinic in Intermountain West, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Out of three sub-scales i. e. attitudes, effect, and readiness, students responded most positively to effect of experience of participating in free clinic. Students who spoke Spanish showed higher levels of self-efficacy and readiness for a future career in comparison to non-Spanish speakers.

Keywords: Physician assistants; educational activity; medically uninsured; primary care; volunteerism.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Observational Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attitude / ethnology
  • Career Choice
  • Clinical Competence / statistics & numerical data
  • Evaluation Studies as Topic
  • Female
  • Hispanic or Latino / education*
  • Hispanic or Latino / psychology
  • Humans
  • Knowledge
  • Male
  • Medically Uninsured / statistics & numerical data
  • Physician Assistants / education*
  • Primary Health Care / methods
  • Primary Health Care / trends
  • Self Efficacy*
  • Student Run Clinic / organization & administration*
  • Student Run Clinic / statistics & numerical data
  • Students, Health Occupations / statistics & numerical data
  • United States / ethnology
  • Volunteers / psychology
  • Volunteers / statistics & numerical data