What motivates general practitioners of the future: qualitative study of Irish trainees.

Aisling Egan, Peter Hayes, Andrew O'Regan

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in BMC primary care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

"There is never any rest, never enough time and too much to do": a qualitative study of GP work intensity in an Irish context.BMC primary care · 2026
Article

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

3 authors.

Aisling EganSchool of Medicine, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland. aisling.egan@umail.ucc.ie.ORCID 0009-0006-3413-1836

Peter HayesSchool of Medicine, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.

Andrew O'ReganSchool of Medicine, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is a worldwide shortage of general practitioners (GPs). The aim of this study is to explore the perspectives of GP trainees and to understand their motivators and career priorities to inform future GP workforce planning.

methodsA qualitative study, consisting of one-to-one, semi-structured interviews was conducted with GP trainee participants and data were analysed thematically. Every GP trainee currently enrolled in vocational training nationally was invited to participate. 'Social Cognitive Career Theory' and 'Sociocultural Theory' were used as theoretical frameworks to inform the interview guide and its analysis.

resultsSeventeen GP trainees were interviewed. One meta-theme was identified from interviews: 'Sustainable work as part of a fulfilling life'. This meta-theme of sustainability threads through each of the five related subthemes: Family, stability and support, burnout aversion, role-modelling, and well supported portfolio careers in practice.

conclusionUnderstanding priorities and motivators of GP trainees will inform future healthcare planning, in particular, the type of role to which trainees aspire and the type of health service they in which they will work.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelCareer ChoiceGeneral PractitionersMotivationAdultBurnout, ProfessionalFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicIrelandMaleQualitative ResearchCareer choiceGeneral practice traineesHealth professions educationPrimary care workforcePrimary health care.Recruitment and retention

Identifiers

PMID40394481

DOI10.1186/s12875-025-02883-1

PMCPMC12090685

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata

LicenceCC BY-NC-ND

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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.