Medicine as a career among 1974 and 1977 British medical qualifiers

Information was obtained for about 95% of 1974 and 1977 qualifiers from British/UK medical schools. The percentages giving medicine as a career choice were much lower some years after qualifying than in the pre-registration year. A third of those working in medicine 13 years after qualifying were consultants, but 9 years after qualifying almost 90% of those who had initially given medicine as a first career choice had not become senior registrars or consultants in a medical discipline. Just over 6% of respondents had obtained medical experience abroad at some stage. Only 10 consultants in medical disciplines described having worked in general practice. Among 1974 qualifiers who had been medical registrars, 34% were medical consultants, 6% were consultants in non-medical specialties and 20% were general practitioners, when surveyed 13 years after qualifying. Details are given of individual medical specialties.