Academic general internists' work roles and motivations for learning

As part of an assessment of interests and needs for continuing medical education among academic general internists, a 20 per cent random sample of the 1985 physician membership of SREPCIM was asked to describe how they divided their time among basic work activities (patient care, teaching, housestaff supervision, administration, and research), how they perceived the importance of specific skills related to those basic activities, and how interested they were in participating in a faculty development program in order to improve those skills. Although respondents reported a great diversity of work roles, attitudes, and values, there was a strong and consistent tendency to value and want to improve upon only those skills related to basic activities in which physicians were already spending more time. Also, physicians who spent more time in direct patient care were significantly less likely to value classroom teaching or research, less likely to be doing teaching or research, and less motivated to improve their skills in those activities. Likewise, faculty who spent more time doing research were less interested in improving their patient care skills. The implications of these findings for meeting current and future manpower needs of divisions of general internal medicine are discussed.