STEPHEN RADECKI, Ph.D., JOHANNA SHAPIRO, Ph.D., LAURI D. THRUPP, M.D., SABINA MALIK GANDHI, MSIV, SUMANDEEP S. SANGHA, PGYI, and RONALD B. MILLER, M.D.
The willingness of physicians to provide care to HIV-positive patients has been linked to a number of attitudinal factors, but little is known concerning the impact of premedical, medical, and residency training on these factors. The purpose of this study is to elicit responses to the same series of questions concerning HIV and its treatment from respondents at different stages of training, to detect trends in attitudes and to measure the impact of those attitudes on willingness to provide care for HIV/AIDS patients. Study data come from a cross-sectional survey in = 249) of respondents across the training continuum, from premedical students to faculty physicians, using a self-administered questionnaire at a single medical school. The response rate was 59.6%. The study showed significant decreases in personal fear and misgivings concerning HIV, coupled with a substantial decrease in the perceived need for testing of non-high-risk individuals, as respondents gained additional education and training.