title: [Vocational training in general practice in Germany: a nation-wide survey among trainees].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The increasing shortage of (primary care) physicians in Germany is currently being discussed within and outside the profession. A national survey among general practice trainees aimed to explore their perspectives of vocational training (VT).
  
  
  METHODS
  After translation, cultural adaptation and web implementation of the questionnaire of the "Vasco da Gama Movement," the survey was conducted during 2009. Descriptive analyses were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 436 participants (mean age 36 years, 64% female, 49 months of VT) discipline-specific ("medically diverse discipline", "one-to-one care", and "holistic approach"), but also gender-related (females: "compatibility with family life", males: "autonomy and independence", and "opportunities to start their own practice") aspects were important to their choice of career. Despite the heavy workload job satisfaction, but not salary satisfaction, was generally high. Participants rated the following general conditions and content of VT as important: "structured rotations", "rotations in hospitals", "management skills", "working in a local care setting and in a multidisciplinary team" (all>88%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results provide clues to improving VT in General Practice with respect to organisation and content including the consideration of gender-related living conditions. Furthermore, improvement and further development of VT programmes should ideally be part of an area-wide, interdisciplinary and intersectoral approach.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Abteilung Allgemeinmedizin und Versorgungsforschung, Heidelberg. marco.roos@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.forename: Eckart
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Blauth
authors.forename: Jost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steinhäuser
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ledig
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joos
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peters-Klimm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D003479:Curriculum; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000193:education*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D009313:National Health Programs; D010822:Physicians, Women / Q000523:psychology; D011331:Private Practice; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload