Factors associated with the entry to general practice training: A multicentre study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Primary Care Research
• Career Development

Background:

• General practice (GP) career choice is a critical area in medical workforce planning.
• The specific impact of undergraduate primary care exposure on choosing a GP career remains underexplored.
• Understanding factors influencing GP training entry is essential for addressing physician shortages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between undergraduate primary care exposure and entry into general practice training.
• To identify key factors influencing medical graduates' decisions to pursue a career in general practice.

Main Methods:

• An unmatched case-control study design was utilized.
• 130 general practice trainees and 260 trainees in other specialties were randomly selected.
• Questionnaires assessed primary care exposure and career decision-making factors; logistic regression analyzed associations.

Main Results:

• A 66.4% response rate was achieved.
• Timetabled primary care sessions across all three clinical years significantly increased the odds of entering GP training (adjusted OR = 2.91).
• Enrollment in rural medical student schemes (adjusted OR = 3.07) and valuing core GP values (adjusted OR = 8.46) were also strongly associated with GP training entry.

Conclusions:

• Continuous primary care exposure throughout undergraduate clinical years positively influences the decision to enter general practice training.
• This study underscores the significance of sustained exposure in shaping career choices towards general practice.
• Findings contribute to strategies for enhancing recruitment into primary care.