Comments about GP as a career by theme
| Theme | n (FD) | % (FD)* | n (GPST) | % (GPST)* |
| Positive | ||||
| Work–life balance | 20 | 30 | 14 | 23 |
| Good training programme | 16 | 24 | 5 | 8 |
| Variety | 6 | 9 | 5 | 8 |
| Special interests | 4 | 6 | – | – |
| Recruitment crisis-easy to get job | 4 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| Flexible | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Continuity of care | – | – | 3 | 5 |
| Less stress | 1 | 2 | – | – |
| Lifestyle | 1 | 2 | – | – |
| Short training | 1 | 2 | – | – |
| Pay | – | – | 1 | 2 |
| Holistic | – | – | 1 | 2 |
| Negative | ||||
| Workload | 25 | 34 | 2 | 9 |
| A waste | 6 | 8 | 3 | 14 |
| ‘Easy choice’ | 5 | 7 | 4 | 18 |
| Boring | 6 | 8 | 2 | 9 |
| Stress | 6 | 8 | 2 | 9 |
| Bad referrals | 6 | 8 | – | – |
| Paperwork | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Why be a GP? | 1 | 1 | 3 | 14 |
| Trivial patient problems | – | – | 3 | 14 |
| A few GPs give the profession a bad name | – | – | 2 | 9 |
| Recruitment crisis | 2 | 3 | – | – |
| Training scheme | 2 | 3 | – | – |
| Blame environment | 2 | 3 | – | – |
| Time constraints | 2 | 3 | – | – |
| E-portfolio† | 1% | – | – | |
| QOF‡ | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| Complaints | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| ‘For those who can’t do anything else’ | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| Media opinion | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| Isolating | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| Uncertain future | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| Ambiguous | ||||
| ‘You would make a good GP’ | 9 | 14 | 28 | 47 |
*Percentages are based on the number of comments reported by that group of trainees; that is, the denominator is the number of positive or negative comments in total for that group of trainees. Many trainees reported hearing positive and/or negative comments but did not expand further.
†E-portfolio: GPSTs in the UK are required to collect evidence of their learning in an e-portfolio.
‡QOF: Quality and Outcomes Framework: A system of performance payment for GPs in the UK.
FD, foundation doctors; GPST, General Practice Specialty Registrar; GP, General Practitioner.