General Practice popular Career Choice

According to a survey of 260 WA medical students and Interns, becoming a rural General Practitioner is seen as an intellectually stimulating, challenging, and diverse career choice.

The survey, conducted by AMA(WA) and WAGPET in September 2009, indicates 25 per cent of those surveyed said becoming a GP was their preferred profession, which puts General Practice ahead of being a Surgeon (12.5 per cent).

The survey was carried out in September by the WA GP Education and Training (WAGPET) and the AMA (WA) for the third successive year. The survey involved 260 medical students from the Universities of WA and Notre Dame and 62 Interns

Other findings in the survey included:

• The most popular career choice for females was General Practice (28.5%).
• The most popular career choice for males was Surgery (23.4%).
• Respondents who were married or in a de facto relationship were more likely to choose General Practice as a career.
• Of those that had undertaken a rural placement in the last 12 months, 88% replied that rural placements influenced their perception of General Practice positively.
• Most respondents (99.4%) said an intellectually stimulating career was important to them. The majority (over 85%) agreed that a challenging career, with flexible hours, diversity and access to mentors was important.

Source: AMA