The evaluation form provides reliable ratings of teaching in outpatient settings when more than ten raters are available. The differences found in the ratings between the inpatient and outpatient settings may be explained by the factor of the resident's perceived degree of involvement with the instructor.

Dramatic age and gender differences were evident in the preadmission performances, while the differences in the medical school performances were much smaller.

No abstract

Physician work satisfaction is related to several aspects of practice organization, including work group or colleagues, job content, work hours, and future opportunities. Practice location is an important determinant of practice organization and personal life satisfaction. This study compared the professional satisfaction of physicians in rural and urban settings to determine how practice setting, practice type, work hours, and interactions with colleagues influenced satisfaction. Surveys focusing on professional satisfaction were mailed to community-based, primary care physicians in Kentucky. Overall, physicians were satisfied with their practices, with physicians in larger communities being more satisfied than those from smaller communities. Professional satisfaction was associated with practice location, practice type, number of years since graduation from medical school, number of colleagues identified, and the quality of professional interactions with colleagues. The study concluded that collegial support for physicians is important in creating work environments that promote professional satisfaction.

Cost-containment interventions targeted towards doctors in training need to address the effect on quality of care and the influence of the group process in clinical decision making. Group diagnostic decisions may be more costly, but more appropriate.