Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39978829›Full record

ArticleBJGP open2025

General practice specialty decision making: a system-level Australian qualitative study.

Faith R Yong, Priya Martin, Katharine A Wallis, Jordan Fox, Sneha Kirubakaran, Riitta L Partanen, Srinivas Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Matthew R McGrail

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Article in BJGP open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Faith R YongRural Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4878-7565
Priya MartinRural Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2092-6551
Katharine A WallisGeneral Practice Clinical Unit, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2580-9362
Jordan FoxRural Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8367-5297
Sneha KirubakaranRural Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5412-1711
Riitta L PartanenRural Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6768-3382
Srinivas Kondalsamy-ChennakesavanRural Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1333-374X
Matthew R McGrailRural Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia m.mcgrail@uq.edu.au.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6901-8845

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEnsuring sufficient supply of GPs is critical for servicing increasing healthcare demands. Heightened by pandemic conditions, chronic shortages of GPs persist globally. While many factors reinforcing the choice of general practice as a specialty are known, system-level understanding of factors that influence GPs' career decision making during their medical training requires investigation.

aimTo explore the reasons for specialty choice through career selection narratives of recently registered Australian GPs, using a system-level perspective. DESIGN &

settingSemi-structured interviews were selected for in-depth explorations of the rationale for choosing general practice as a specialty. Within Australia, medical specialty training choices are typically made after both university medical education and mandatory 1-2 year pre-vocational (hospital-based) training have been completed.

methodInterviews were conducted online with GPs who had completed all training in the last 10 years. De-identified and verified transcripts underwent participant checking. Deductive framework analysis, using career counselling constructs, and inductive thematic analysis were performed.

resultsThere were 25 participants. Career counselling constructs provided system-level understanding of GP specialty decision-making processes. Many participants highlighted that there were large gaps in information about a GP career throughout medical training. Overcoming negative medical narratives about general practice was necessary for most in choosing a GP career. However, positive experiences with GP communities or work gave insights into the broad flexibility of their person-specialty fit with general practice.

conclusionGP work experiences and personal GP connections could counteract prominent negative narratives about GP careers. However, lack of systemic and regular exposure to GPs throughout medical training is a critical barrier that should be addressed through sustained policy and professional interventions.

Indexed as

General practiceGeneral practitionersMedical educationPrimary healthcareQualitative researchWorkforce

Identifiers

PMID39978829
PMCPMC12728860

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.