Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To study changes in factors influencing doctors’ career specialty choices between one and five years after graduation. DESIGN: Questionnaire survey. SETTING: UK. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 10,473 doctors who replied to our surveys both one and five years after graduating from all UK medical schools between 1993 and 2008. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The importance of each of 12 specified factors in influencing the doctors’ choice of future specialty ‘a great deal’. METHOD: Questionnaires by post and email. RESULTS: Enthusiasm for and commitment to the specialty was the greatest influence on career choice at year 1 (66%) and year 5 (74%). Domestic circumstances increased in importance more than any other factor (from 22.5% to 41.3%); 26% of doctors rated this as important in year 5 but not in year 1. Other factors which increased in importance from year 1 to year 5 included hours/working conditions, experience of the job so far and self-appraisal of own skills. There was an increase in the importance of promotion/career prospects, self-appraisal of own skills, student experience of subject and enthusiasm/commitment for more recent cohorts compared with older cohorts. Between years 1 and 5, there was a greater increase in the importance of domestic circumstances, hours/working conditions and eventual financial prospects for intending General Practitioners than for other doctors. CONCLUSIONS: Doctors remain committed to their specialty between years 1 and 5, but the influence of domestic circumstances and hours and working conditions grew stronger.