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Factors that affect general practice as a choice of medical speciality: implications for policy development.
- Source :
- Australian Health Review; 2019, Vol. 43 Issue 2, p230-237, 8p
- Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- Objective: This article critically appraises the range of personal, professional and social factors that affect the choice of speciality across medical students, prevocational doctors, general practice registrars and general practitioners. Methods: This qualitative study applied constructs from the fields of decision theory and career theory to better understand the complex nature of choosing a speciality. In all, 47 in-depth interviews were conducted with participants at different stages of their career cycle. The data was codified and analysed using NVivo to identify key factors that influenced speciality choice. Results: The research identified 77 individual findings influencing general practice as a choice of medical speciality. These were distilled into a matrix to show that factors such as money, prestige and peer interaction did not have a compelling effect, whereas clinical and academic role models, flexibility, workâlife balance, scope of practice, connection with patients, training environment and practical opportunities did. Conclusion: The findings indicate that the decision in relation to the choice of medical speciality is a complex cognitive process that is undertaken within a personal, social and professional context particular to each individual. What is known about the topic?: Current literature aims to quantify changes in attitudes towards choice of speciality or the effect of particular variables in isolation while ignoring the complexity of this decision process and how the numerous variables compare with each other. What does this paper add?: The present study is the first intergenerational research on this topic in the Australian context and the paper dismisses the role of prestige and remuneration as key drivers of choice in picking general practice as a speciality, noting that money is merely a 'hygiene factor'. What are the implications for policy makers?: A policy framework outlining 10 key principles is presented to assist policy makers seeking to affect workforce outcomes by applying policy levers to influence doctors' choice of speciality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- ATTITUDE (Psychology)
AUTONOMY (Psychology)
CLINICAL medicine
CONCEPTUAL structures
DECISION making
EMPLOYMENT
EXPERIENCE
FAMILY medicine
INTERVIEWING
OCCUPATIONAL achievement
MEDICAL personnel
PATIENT-professional relations
PSYCHOLOGY of medical students
MEDICAL practice
MEDICAL specialties & specialists
GENERAL practitioners
POLICY sciences
PROFESSIONAL employee training
PROFESSIONS
ROLE models
SCHOOL environment
VOCATIONAL guidance
QUALITATIVE research
OCCUPATIONAL roles
PSYCHOSOCIAL factors
SOCIOECONOMIC factors
WORK-life balance
DATA analysis software
PHYSICIANS' attitudes
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 01565788
- Volume :
- 43
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Australian Health Review
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 135718376
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1071/AH17015