Adolescent life experiences of physicians in primary care compared with other specialties

The perceived need for more primary care physicians has stimulated several studies of specialty choice. One study that used a cross-sectional design found that life-history experiences differentiated between generalist and specialist physicians. The present study assessed whether life history experiences reported during college could differentiate between physicians currently in primary care versus other specialties.

We tracked students who completed a 118-item inventory of life history experiences (biodata) during their freshman orientation at a large, public university and who subsequently graduated from the state's largest medical school. We compared biodata responses of those currently practicing in primary care with those in other specialties.

Biodata and medical specialty information were available for 169 physicians, of which 145 were men (27 primary care, 118 other specialties), and 24 women (three primary care, 21 other specialties). Women were excluded from further analyses. Using 13 biodata factors identified in prior studies, primary care physicians had lower scores on "orientation toward academics," and higher scores on "personal and social adjustment." Biodata accounted for 19% of the variance in specialty choice.

Biodata can help identify medical school applicants who will have a greater likelihood of selecting a primary care specialty.