[Determinants of primary care specialty choice]

This paper analyzes and synthesizes the literature on primary care specialty choice. Motivation for choosing medicine and its impact on recruitment to different types of medical work has been presented. Factors that influence medical students and young doctors to change specialty preference have also been explored. Variables, such as gender, martial status, age, income expectations and prestige, that affect medical students' specialty selection decisions for primary care, have been examined. Personality profiles of primary care physician have been evaluated and the influence of communication skills and knowledge of social psychology on his/her work have been analyzed. It is presented that other traits, such as patient-centeredness, needs to serve society and value orientation, is also associated with increases in numbers of students choosing primary care. The analyze shows that the preference for primary care is connected with being interested in diverse patients and health problems and also with being people-orientated. A survey conducted into Polish medical students' attitudes to primary care and family medicine is presented. There is a negative perception of family medicine among Polish students and doctors because of its long work hours and less time for family, insufficient diagnostic possibilities and monotony It is chosen because of lack of other possibilities, difficulties in employment and opportunity to become 'a specialist' in short time.