Reasons for the choice of General Practice

Abstract

Objective: To find out the reasons doctors present for choosing general practice as a career, and to analyse factors associated with rank of preference. Type of study: Cross-sectional with an analytical component. Site: Northern Portugal. Population: Doctors who entered the General Practice Specialty Internship. Sample: Convenient sample made up of doctors who entered the GP internship in Northern Portugal, from January 1st 1988 until May 31st 1998 (n = 299). Methods: Data were collected by means of a structured, confidential, non-validated questionnaire, which was elaborated by the author and mailed to the participants in two phases. An alternatives scale was used to assess the influence of each reason for choosing general practice. Descriptive statistical measurements were calculated, and the Chi-square test was employed to assess the statistical significance of the proportions found between the group which had chosen general practice as a first-line option, and the group of the remainder. A level of significance equal to 0.01 (p<0.01) was used. Results: The response rate was 55%. The more influential reasons were to do with characteristics of general practice itself. Reasons relating to personal expectations were of lesser importance. General practice was chosen as a first-line option by 68% of respondents. Reasons significantly associated to choosing general practice as a first-line option were: opportunity to prevent disease and promote health (p<0.001); provision of continuing care (p<0.001); diversity of conditions, sexes and age groups (p<0.001); opportunity to act at community level (p<0.002); and dislike for hospital work (p=0.01). Interns who did not choose general practice as a first-line option had been bound by their specialty internship entrance examination mark (p<0.01). Conclusion: Most doctors opting for general practice are in tune with this specialty and its activity profile.