Firearm-related Personal and Clinical Characteristics of US Medical Students

Author: Frank, Erica / Carrera, Jennifer S. / Prystowsky, Jason / Kellermann, Arthur
Publication: Southern Medical Journal
Link to Published Abstract
Topics: Education/Counseling Ownership Students U.S./National
Keywords: COUNSELING EMPLOYEES -- Training of FIREARMS accidents PATIENTS PREVENTIVE health services
Bibliographic information +

The authors surveyed 2,316 students from the class of 2003 at 16 medical schools during freshman orientation, entrance to wards, and during senior year. US medical students reported substantially lower rates of household gun ownership than the general population: 19% of male and 9% of female medical students lived in a home where guns are kept compared with 43.5% of men and 29.2% of women in the general population. Only 4% of students reported counseling patients about firearm possession and storage “usually/always,” and 30% of students reported such counseling “sometimes.”