TY - JOUR

T1 - Doctors' professional values

T2 - results from a cohort study of United Kingdom medical graduates

AU - Cooke, Lorelei

AU - Hutchinson, Mandy

PY - 2001/8

Y1 - 2001/8

N2 - OBJECTIVES: To examine young doctors' views on a number of professional issues including professional regulation, multidisciplinary teamwork, priority setting, clinical autonomy and private practice.METHOD: Postal survey of 545 doctors who graduated from United Kingdom medical schools in 1995.RESULTS: Questionnaires were returned by 95% of the cohort (515/545). On issues of professional regulation, teamwork and clinical autonomy, the majority of doctors held views consistent with current General Medical Council guidance. The majority supported the right of doctors working in the NHS to engage in private practice. Most respondents thought that public expectations of doctors, medicine and the NHS were too high, and that some form of rationing was inevitable. On many issues there was considerable variation in attitudes on the basis of sex and intended branch of medicine.CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the heterogeneity of the profession and the influence of specialty and gender on professional values. Doctors' attitudes had also been shaped by broader social changes, especially debates surrounding regulation of the profession, rising public expectations and the need for rationing of NHS care.

AB - OBJECTIVES: To examine young doctors' views on a number of professional issues including professional regulation, multidisciplinary teamwork, priority setting, clinical autonomy and private practice.METHOD: Postal survey of 545 doctors who graduated from United Kingdom medical schools in 1995.RESULTS: Questionnaires were returned by 95% of the cohort (515/545). On issues of professional regulation, teamwork and clinical autonomy, the majority of doctors held views consistent with current General Medical Council guidance. The majority supported the right of doctors working in the NHS to engage in private practice. Most respondents thought that public expectations of doctors, medicine and the NHS were too high, and that some form of rationing was inevitable. On many issues there was considerable variation in attitudes on the basis of sex and intended branch of medicine.CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the heterogeneity of the profession and the influence of specialty and gender on professional values. Doctors' attitudes had also been shaped by broader social changes, especially debates surrounding regulation of the profession, rising public expectations and the need for rationing of NHS care.

KW - Adult

KW - Attitude of Health Personnel

KW - Cohort Studies

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Physicians/psychology

KW - Professional Competence

KW - Professional Practice/standards

KW - Sex Factors

KW - Surveys and Questionnaires

U2 - 10.1046/j.1365-2923.2001.01011.x

DO - 10.1046/j.1365-2923.2001.01011.x

M3 - Article

C2 - 11489100

VL - 35

SP - 735

EP - 742

JO - Medical Education

JF - Medical Education

SN - 0308-0110

IS - 8

ER -