Table 2

Characteristics of medical students in the preclinical sample: N = 761; nonresponses were less than 0.3%.

VARIABLESFM N = 230 (30.2%)OS N = 531 (69.8%)ALL N = 761 (100.0%)
Median (range) age, y*24 (19–43)23 (20–40)23 (19–43)
Sex, n (%)
  • Male63 (27.4)211 (39.7)274 (36.0)
  • Female167 (72.6)319 (60.1)486 (63.9)
Marital status, n (%)
  • Single184 (80.0)464 (87.4)648 (85.2)
  • Married or living with partner46 (20.0)66 (12.4)112 (14.7)
  • Separated or divorced0 (0.0)0 (0.0)0 (0.0)
Born in Canada, n (%)§213 (92.6)430 (81.0)643 (84.5)
Environment before university, n (%)§
  • Exclusively or predominantly rural47 (20.4)60 (11.3)107 (14.1)
  • Exclusively or predominantly small town70 (30.4)117 (22.0)187 (24.6)
  • Exclusively or predominantly urban93 (40.4)311 (58.6)404 (53.1)
  • Mixture of environments20 (8.7)42 (7.9)62 (8.1)
Expected debt upon completion of medical school (directly related to being in medical school), n (%)
  • No debt21 (9.1)66 (12.4)87 (11.4)
  • < $20 00035 (15.2)92 (17.3)127 (16.7)
  • $20 000–$80 00084 (36.5)162 (30.5)246 (32.3)
  • > $80 00085 (37.0)190 (35.8)275 (36.1)
  • Not provided3 (1.3)16 (3.0)19 (2.5)
Best description of the financial situation, n (%)
  • Extremely stressful6 (2.6)19 (3.6)25 (3.3)
  • Very stressful16 (7.0)36 (6.8)52 (6.8)
  • Fairly stressful73 (31.7)133 (25.0)206 (27.1)
  • Minimally stressful103 (44.8)240 (45.2)343 (45.1)
  • Not stressful30 (13.0)99 (18.6)129 (17.0)
  • FM—family medicine specialty, OS—other specialty.

  • * Kolmogorov-Smirnov test: P < .05.

  • χ2 test: P < .01.

  • χ2 test: P < .05

  • § χ2 test: P < .0001.