Reasons why doctors choose or reject careers in general practice: national surveys

Abstract

BackgroundLess than one-third of newly qualified doctors in the UK want a career in general practice. The English Department of Health expects that half of all newly qualified doctors will become GPs. AimTo report on the reasons why doctors choose or reject careers in general practice, comparing intending GPs with doctors who chose hospital careers. Design and settingQuestionnaire surveys in all UK medical graduates in selected qualification years. MethodQuestions about specialty career intentions and motivations, put to the qualifiers of 1993, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2009, 1 year after qualification, and at longer time intervals thereafter. Results'Enthusiasm for and commitment to the specialty' was a very important determinant of choice for intending doctors, regardless of chosen specialty. 'Hours and working conditions' were a strong influence for intending GPs (cited as having had 'a great deal' of influence by 75% of intending GPs in the first year after qualification), much more so than for doctors who wanted a hospital career (cited by 30%). Relatively few doctors had actually considered general practice seriously but then rejected it; 78% of the doctors who rejected general practice gave 'job content' as their reason, compared with 32% of doctors who rejected other specialties. ConclusionThe shortfall of doctors wanting a career in general practice is not accounted for by doctors considering and rejecting it. Many do not consider it at all. There are very distinctive factors that influence choice for, and rejection of, general practice.

GPs’ job satisfaction: doctors who chose general practice early or late

“…10 Also, many doctors are attracted to general practice for lifestyle reasons, and this factor is increasingly important for more recent graduates. [10][11][12] That females reported slightly higher job satisfaction than males is consistent with other research which has reported higher job satisfaction among female GPs. 13,14 The slightly more negative scores on job satisfaction of the doctors who first decided on a career in general practice late, after year 5, need cautious interpretation.…”

Medical students’ attitudes towards general practice and factors affecting career choice: a questionnaire study

“…3 Doctors rejecting general practice as a speciality tended to cite reasons such as job content and too much administration. 4 One study found that junior doctors perceived general practice negatively and as a career with less clinical interest, but a better lifestyle. 5 However, a study at Imperial College Medical School in 2002 showed that students had a positive attitude towards general practice.…”

Evaluation of environmental and occupational health students’ attitudes toward their field of study at Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2013

“…In a study performed by Lambert et al, enthusiasm for and commitment to the specialty' was a very important determinant of choice for intending doctors, regardless of their chosen specialty. Relatively few doctors had actually considered general practice seriously, but had then rejected it (13). Moreover, 78% of the doctors who rejected general practice presented 'job content' as their reason, compared with the 32% of doctors who rejected other specialties (13).…”

“…Relatively few doctors had actually considered general practice seriously, but had then rejected it (13). Moreover, 78% of the doctors who rejected general practice presented 'job content' as their reason, compared with the 32% of doctors who rejected other specialties (13). Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the attitudes of environmental and occupational health students in Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Iran, toward their chosen field of study due to the content and functional similarities between these two majors.…”