Career choices of young graduates: A need for more GP training.
A survey of fourth year (first clinical year) medical students at the University of Western Australia in 1977 showed that 48% of them wanted to be general practitioners. When interviewed again as interns in 1980, the same group showed a 61% preference for general practice. In 1977, 57% of interns and junior RMOs had wished for a career in general practice. During the last five years the proportion of graduates entering the Family Medicine programme has reached as high as 68% in the third year after graduation. In the 25 years since the first medical graduates qualified in Perth the percentage entering general practice has climbed from 15 to 80; the percentage entering the specialties has declined from 85 to 20. This survey is a valuable tool in planning postgraduate training programmes.
D001315:Australia; D002321:Career Choice; D002755:Choice Behavior; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000639:trends; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education* / Q000639:trends; D007396:Internship and Residency; D013337:Students, Medical; D000078329:Workforce