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Survey: More U.K. doctors opting for general practice
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OXFORD, England — The number of newly qualified doctors in the United Kingdom wanting to enter general practice has increased recently, and those choosing surgical specialties decreased, according to a survey. However, newly qualified doctors are still much less likely than doctors were in the 1970s and 1980s to choose general practice as a career.
Researchers at the University of Oxford surveyed more than 8,000 medical graduates who qualified in the United Kingdom in 1999 and 2000 about their long-term career choices. Their choices were compared with responses to a similar survey in 1996.
The number of respondents who chose general practice increased, whereas choices for hospital medical specialties, surgical specialties and pediatrics decreased. The number choosing obstetrics and gynecology fell by half. Differences between men and women in choices of specialty remained substantial.
The study, by statistician Trevor Lambert and others here at the University of Oxford, is published in the January 25 issue of BMJ.
One in 10 graduates "definitely" or "probably" did not intend to practice medicine in the United Kingdom for the foreseeable future. Including those who were undecided, a quarter had doubts about practicing medicine in the United Kingdom.
The percentage of newly qualified doctors intending to enter general practice has increased from 20% in 1996, but remains much lower than the figure of 40% to 50% of graduates of the 1970s and 1980s, according to the authors.
Knowledge of young doctors' career choices will help planners to anticipate whether future service requirements in different specialties will be met, the authors conclude. Click here to view full paper: