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Uncertainty in general practice: a myth of uniqueness?
Michael Tran1, Parker Magin2, Wendy Hu3
1Discipline of General Practice, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia michael.m.tran@unsw.edu.au.
Family Medicine and Community Health
|January 27, 2026
Summary
Uncertainty is often considered unique to general practice, but this may be a myth. Research suggests challenging this belief could improve medical education and how practitioners handle uncertainty.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- General Practice Research
- Healthcare Professional Development
Background:
- Uncertainty is a core concept in general practice training and professional identity.
- The belief that uncertainty is unique to general practice lacks empirical evidence and may be a myth.
- Understanding the origins and perpetuation of this belief is crucial for medical education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the claim that uncertainty is unique to general practice.
- To trace the historical origins and perpetuation of the belief in general practice's unique uncertainty.
- To explore the implications of challenging this belief for medical education and practitioner development.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive review of existing literature on uncertainty in general practice.
- A historical analysis to investigate the emergence and reinforcement of the belief.
- Interrogation of the uniqueness of uncertainty in general practice versus other medical fields.
Main Results:
- The notion of uncertainty as a hallmark of general practice emerged with its establishment as a specialty.
- Contemporary literature reinforces this view, potentially due to confirmation bias and uncritical acceptance.
- Empirical evidence supporting the uniqueness of uncertainty in general practice is absent.
Conclusions:
- The belief that uncertainty is unique to general practice may be a myth perpetuated in medical education.
- Challenging this myth could reduce the perceived burden of uncertainty for practitioners and learners.
- Identifying which aspects of uncertainty are universal versus specific can inform educational interventions and foster a growth mindset.
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