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

In their study on general practitioners' job satisfaction Lambert et al. (1) describe the feeling of GPs one to ten years after graduation. The authors conclude that the level of job satisfaction was generally high among both late and early choosers. Most GPs turn to general practice after initially preferring another speciality at the beginning of their career and the majority will have a satisfying career.

In order to understand the factors behind their choice, we questioned 198 students' in the Faculty of Toulouse (South-West France) about their reasons for choosing general practice.(2) The result of our survey was that it was chosen for its diversity and the doctor-patient relationship, with the fact that it is a speciality often held in low esteem being the main obstacle. 37.5% (n = 74) had hesitated between general practice and another medical speciality, 66% (n = 131) said that general practice was their first choice. Their positive choice in favour of general practice was based on several key factors: the characteristics of the profession, training in a general practice, the quality of education, the conditions of future practice and quality of life. Six profiles were defined: the convinced, with a conscious preference for GP; the visitors from the north of France, attracted by the southern climate and the characteristics of the profession; the opportunists, particularly interested in doctor-patient relationship; the sedentary students, who have always lived in Toulouse and gave priority to personal relationships; the southerners for whom the choice of town was more important than the choice of speciality, and those who chose the faculty for its quality of its teaching and its reputation.

The conclusion drawn by Lambert et al. may give the impression that most doctors had chosen General Practice as a last resort. In reality, the choice for general practice depends on many factors and knowing the true reasons for this choice can help understand practitioners' level of job satisfaction. This is an important factor that should not be overlooked.

References:

1. Lambert T, Smith F, Goldacre M. GPs' job satisfaction: doctors who chose general practice early or late. British Journal of General Practice, Volume 63, Number 616, November 2013, pp. e726-e733(8)

2. Bismuth M, Rouge-Bugat ME, Poutrain JC, et al. Medecine, Volume 9, March 2013, pp. 136-141

Conflict of Interest:

None declared