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Over half of doctors think general practice is more attractive than hospital medicine

Over half of doctors think that general practice is more attractive as a career than hospital medicine according to a survey by the UK Medical Careers Research Group at the University of Oxford.

The survey of doctors who qualified in the UK in 2008 found that 56% of the 2,369 respondents agreed or strongly agreed that ‘General practice is more attractive than hospital practice for doctors at present’, with around 25% disagreeing with the statement. 

The survey also found that 78% of respondents said they would probably or definitely carry on with medicine in the UK ‘for the foreseeable future’, compared with 12% who said that they would probably or definitely not continue. Of those who disagreed, 90% were considering medicine outside the UK.

Respondents also raised concerns about having to choose their specialty too early with 55% agreeing that they had to choose their specialty too soon after qualification, although 73% were satisfied with their career prospects.

Around 35% of respondents working in the NHS or in UK universities worked in general practice.

Responses were received between December 2013 and mid-2014 with the report published in November 2015.