Dr wYse: The Next Generation

Transcription

Dr wYse:
The Next
Generation
August, 2012
Contact: Steven Riddell, Account Director
Ipsos Healthcare Level 13, 168 Walker Street, North Sydney, NSW, 2060
(02) 9900-5100
© 2012 Ipsos. All rights reserved. Contains Ipsos' Confidential and Proprietary information and may not
be disclosed or reproduced without the prior written consent of Ipsos.
The contents of this proposal are confidential and may be used solely for the purpose of evaluating the
proposal for services to be provided by Ipsos. No other use is permitted and the addressee agrees not to
disclose all or part of this proposal to any third party without the prior written consent of Ipsos.
Funding Bodies
The concept and design for this research project was established by General Practice
Registrars Australia Ltd (GPRA). Key stakeholder bodies including the Royal Australian
College of General Practitioners (RACGP), General Practice Education & Training (GPET),
North Coast General Practice Training (NCGPT), Northern Territory General Practice Training
(NTGPE) and Western Australian General Practice Education and Training (WAGPET) were
invited to form a research committee to refine the scope and outcomes of the research. This
group provided critical feedback at various stages of the research and also provided funding
assistance. IPSOS was granted the project as part of a competitive application process.
The stakeholders also acknowledge the support from MIMS and Pfizer who provided
unrestricted educational grants, which helped fund this project.
Ipsos Healthcare
© 2012 Ipsos. All rights reserved. Contains Ipsos' Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be disclosed or reproduced
without the prior written consent of Ipsos.
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................... 4
Introduction ................................................................................................................... 8
Research Objectives ..................................................................................................... 9
Research Design ......................................................................................................... 10
Sample characteristics ............................................................................................... 11
Key Findings - Focus groups ..................................................................................... 12
Key Findings - Online Survey ..................................................................................... 23
Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 44
About Ipsos Healthcare .............................................................................................. 45
Appendix A: Literature Review................................................................................... 46
Appendix B: Online survey data ................................................................................ 70
Appendix C: Online questionnaire ............................................................................. 75
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Executive Summary
Introduction and objectives
A shortage of general practitioners in Australia is predicted in the coming years. In order to
maintain and build growth in the number of medical students choosing a career in general
practice, training bodies need to ensure they are providing practical, effective and compelling
communication and engagement strategies for young doctors in the future, particularly within
the current student generation (Generation Y).
The key objective was to identify how Gen Y medical students and recent medical graduates
are currently accessing medical information and how this information is being used to reach a
decision to choose a specialty in medicine.
Method
A multi-method (qualitative and quantitative) approach was used for this piece of research.
Three focus groups across Australia were carried out to aid in the design of an online
questionnaire which followed.
Medical students and recent medical graduates who fit into the age bracket of Gen Y were
screened for inclusion for both the focus groups and online survey. Invitations for participation
in both facets of the research were distributed by email from the General Practice Registrars
Australia. Focus groups were two hours in length and were carried out in Sydney, Melbourne
and Perth. The online survey was approximately 20 minutes in length. Prizes were also
awarded for completion. This research was granted an ethics approval by the National
Research and Evaluation Ethics Committee (NREEC).
Respondent demographics
Focus groups
A total of 21 participants were recruited for the three focus groups. Each group comprised of
seven participants. Overall there were 14 female particpants and 7 males. Students and
recent graduates were recruited for each focus group by a grouping of years of study years.
One focus group included students from 1st to 3rd year, another included participants across
the middle to latter years of study (4th year through to 6th year) and the final group had a focus
of recent graduates but also contained a spread of students from other years of study.
Online survey
A total of 609 respondents completed the online survey. Majority of the respondents were
female (73%) and there was a mean age of 26 years. Responses were distributed across all
Australian universities. Two thirds of the sample (66%) were current medical students and the
remaining third (34%) were recent medical graduates. There was an approximate even split
between postgraduate (46%) or undergraduate (54%) respondents. More than half of the
sample (54%) had lived in a rgenional, rural or remote area for more than 6 months.Two thirds
of the respondents were Australian born/Australian medical school training. It is important to
note that given over 60% of medical students are female (source MTRP data), it is unlikely
that the skew towards female respondents has any significance in terms of interpretation of
the data.
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Results
Key results from the focus groups:
Students and recent medical graduates are likely to make a decision based on three
key areas; their own experience within a specialty, others experience of a specialty and
the overall impact of lifestyle. Experiences noted, be that their own or from others with
more experience, are best formed through face-to-face contacts
Participants are interested in a career in general practice as it tends to fit well with a
desire for a balanced work and lifestyle
Students and recent medical graduates are conscious of negative perceptions that are
sometimes associated with a career as a GP. For many, a career as a rural GP
overcomes many of these perceptions as the role is considered to be very challenging
and anyone working in this area of high value to the medical community. A career as a
GP requires pace and excitement and quick rewards for respondents.
Participants enjoy the advantages of having multiple information sources available and
utilise many, but respondents do not tend to rely on one or two key sources, preferring
an aggregated analysis to work out what is meaningful for them at an individual level.
Students and recent medical graduates are adept at synthesizing multiple sources of
information constantly to reach a conclusion or decision. Respondents are skilled at
recognising potential bias within sources and work hard to balance information gaps.
Generation Y are „tech savvy‟. There is excitement among these participants about
how e-systems can be more integrated into hospital networks and the usage of
medical information apps on smart phones for quick reference.
Key results from the online survey:
Personal experience, work related experience and work/life balance are all key drivers
to choose a career in general practice
Nearly one in five respondents (18%) indicated that they will definitely go into general
practice. The decision to go into general practice by respondents is distributed across
years but with an emphasis on a decision in the first three years of study.
Career information seeking:
At Year 4, more than half of the respondents (51%) are actively seeking career
information.
Peer conversations (78%), rotations and experience (59%) and conversations with
mentors (46%) are the most common avenues of career information sought at least
monthly.
Rotations and experience, conversations with mentors, peer conversations,
conversations with academics and face-2-face conferences are all considered as the
most useful, relevant and comprehensive sources of career information.
Students and recent graduates are seeking clear, step-by-step guidance through
information sessions, booklets (32%), along with more „first hand‟ experience and
rotations (27%).
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Information delivery:
The preferred delivery method to bring career information to the attention of
respondents is email (66%).
The majority of respondents (83%) indicated that an all-in-one career pathway map
would be useful.
More than 80% of the respondents access search engines, colleagues, tutors/lecturers
and experience on rotations at least monthly for medical/clinical information.
More than 60% of students and recent graduates access Therapeutic Guidelines or
MIMS, along with rotation experience, tutors/lecturers and colleagues at least monthly
for prescribing information.
Online and social media use:
More than half of the respondents (58%) are spending more than 2 hours online per
day.
Respondents spend an average of 28 minutes per day on social media sites
Facebook (95%) and YouTube (80%) being the most regularly visited.
Although respondents are accessing social media regularly, there is little evidence to
suggest use for career information seeking (13%), nor is it seen as beneficial for
practicing medicine (15%).
Whilst students are not actively using social media to receive career information, there
is potential to use these tools to build strong peer networks, which can be linked to
more formal career information channels.
In the future:
Face-to-face contact with specialists (88%) and peers and colleagues (87%) are
considered to be the most useful resources for medical/clinical information in five years
from now.
The preferred delivery mechanism for medical/clinical information in the future is email
(84%), conferences (70%) and face-to-face (60%).
The most popular means for delivery of CPD and education in the future among the
students was online learning (25% - ranked first). Face-to-face group meetings and
conferences were also popular first choices (24% and 21%). Applications for iPad or
iPhone was a popular first choice also (12%) for education delivery in the future.
More than half of the respondents see general practice working alongside multiple
healthcare professionals, ranging from Practice Nurses (85%), Physiotherapists (74%)
to nutritionists (58%) and pathologists (50%).
Conclusions and recommendations
The common conclusion through-out the research both the focus groups and the online survey
was that medical students and recent medical graduates are making their decisions through
face-to-face contact, by in-field experience and exposure to others who are experienced in a
particular field. The impact on lifestyle (work/life balance) is also an important consideration.
Students and recent graduates are making decisions in regards to going into general practice
in their early and mid stages of their education, providing peak bodies and training
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associations with a defined timeframe as to when to target medical students to actively pursue
a career in general practice
Additional mentoring programs and greater face-2-face contact with general practitioners and
in-situ experience together with a detailed step-by-step guide would be well received. It needs
to be clear and provide timelines, training required and lifestyle benefits of becoming a GP.
Social media should not be considered as a delivery method for career information. However,
can be harnessed to build strong peer networks, which can be linked to more formal career
information channels.
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Introduction
General Practice needs to capture more of the pool of Australian medical graduates in order to
address a workforce shortage in at least the immediate and short-term future.
It is therefore crucial to employ effective strategies in seeking to engage with young doctors
and specifically to motivate them to choose general practice as their career.
Currently, maldistribution of available GPs among the population is an ongoing and important
aspect of workforce problems but there also are over-arching factors which are of urgent
concern for the future provision of primary care. For example:
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Nearly 40% of currently practising GPs are 55 years or over
An ageing general population will mean increased utilisation of GPs:
o Longer-term management of chronic conditions
o Complexity of treatment for older patients with comorbidities as well as
emerging more complicated / time-consuming treatments
A growing proportion of female GPs (who, historically, have worked shorter hours)
noting that, among medical graduates, women outnumber men
Younger GPs, both male and female, wanting more flexibility (work / life balance)
and being disinclined to work the longer hours per week as previous GPs did at
their age (Schofield DJ, Beard, JR. Baby boomer doctors and nurses:
demographic change and transitions to retirement Medical Journal of Australia
2005; 183:80-3.)
Other medical specialties becoming more attractive to graduates, including to
women
A world-wide shortage of doctors: relying on overseas-trained doctors to help fill the
gap between primary care demand and workforce supply in Australia will likely
become problematic
At the same time, the nature of general practice itself is changing and „new‟ GPs are likely to
be working in a very different environment to others who have gone before (where change has
been less radical over the last 20 or so years). Interestingly, the GP workforce will comprise a
diversity not only in training experience but also in terms of expectations, when the „new‟ GPs
work alongside established GPs.
GPs in the future will need to manage some key changes and a number of new scenarios
including, but not limited to the following: an increase in personally-targeted (tailored)
treatments that could be time-consuming to provide and monitor, sharing the general practice
patient treatment with nurse practitioners and other HCPs, the new opportunities provided by
e-Health, further technological advances that will impact on information exchange, a range of
government and privately-sponsored preventive health initiatives and potentially more
informed and demanding patients (as the Baby Boomers reach old age).
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Research Objectives
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To establish medical students‟ and recent medical graduates‟ main career aspirations

To identify the channels with which medical students and recent graduates access
information about medicine and their medical career.
 methods/channels through which they want to be informed
 views in regards to technology and
 the best mode of technology to communicate with these doctors.

To establish the stage at which medical students and recent medical graduates make a
vocational training choice
 Specifically, the choice to do (or not to do) general practice.

To identify different educational/work experiences which affect these decisions
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Research Design
Focus Groups
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3 focus group lasting approximately 120 minutes. Seven participants were recruited for
each group in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth
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Fieldwork was conducted from 13th April - 15th June 2012

More than 7,000 medical students and recent graduates were invited to participate
through email addresses held by GPRA.

Participants were screened into the focus groups by location and current year of study

An industry accredited fieldwork company carried out the recruitment
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Participants were given $80 for participating in the focus groups
Online Survey

Online survey lasting 20 minutes
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Fieldwork was conducted from 25th May - 12th June 2012

More than 7,000 medical students and recent graduates were invited to participate
through email addresses held by GPRA.

Respondents were screened into the survey based on age (≤ 31 years) following the
definition of Gen Y as per the ABS
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An industry accredited fieldwork company, scripted and hosted the online link.

Respondents were encouraged to participate through prizes for the 1st respondent and
also the 50th, 100th,150th, 200th, 250th, 300th, 400th, 500th and 600th respondents.
Prizes included MIMS (iMIMS or MIMS Phone), or a $150 iTunes voucher, or a $150
Coles/Myer voucher

All data is significance tested to a 95% confidence level. We can therefore be 95%
certain that the result is actually significant (i.e. there is a 5% margin of error).

No significance testing has been carried out where N<30
Ethical considerations
This study was given ethics approval by the National Research and Evaluation Ethics
Committee (NREEC).
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Sample characteristics
Focus groups
 A total of 21 students and recent graduates were recruited for the three focus groups.
Each group comprised of seven participants (Sydney, Melbourne and Perth).
 Each focus groups was recruited with every effort to ensure a mix of both female and
male participants. Overall there were 14 female participants and 7 males.
 Students and recent graduates were recruited for each focus group by a year(s) of
study grouping. One focus group included students from 1st to 3rd year, another
included participants across the middle to latter years of study (4th year through to 6th
year) and the final group had a focus of recent graduates but also contained a spread
of students from other years of study.
Online survey
 Majority of the respondents were female (73%)
 Mean age of respondents - 26 years of age
 Responses were distributed across all Australian universities. Monash Univeristy (9%)
and the University of Melbourne (8%) had the greatest proportion of respondents
 Two thirds of the sample (66%) were current medical students. The remaining third
(34%), recent medical graduates
 Respondents were split as to being postgraduate (46%) or undergraduate (54%)
 More than half of the sample (54%) had lived in a renional, rural or remote area for
more than 6 months.
 Two thirds of the respondents were Australian born/Australian medical school training
 Almost two thirds of students had started rotations in hospital and of those who had
started 71% were based in a metropolitan hospital
 There were 21% of respondents who were pre-vocational and of those respondents,
almost three quarters (73%) had not undertaken Prevocational General Practice
Placements Program (PGPPP)
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Key Findings - Focus groups
Introducing the next generation of General Practitioners…
“I‟m thinking of doing a couple of years of locum after residency. One, for the money. Two, because
it's an interesting experience because you see different [things], so we did a couple of years in the
country and like country medicine is different to urban medicine, so a bit of different presentation.
Farmers don‟t come to you with a broken finger, they come to you when they‟ve got a lump that
that‟s big. And so I think if you do locum and you go out and see different things you know you get a
broader experience. And then I think I'm going to come back and then try and get into a training
position. So to answer your question before in 10 years I think I will be part way through that. And
maybe starting to have babies, starting to have a family”
Participants are attracted to medicine because it is considered intriguing and
offers eminence
Reasons for choosing a medical career
Interest in medicine, interest in science
Interest in people
Family members are doctors
Experiences when younger/growing up
Prestige
Power
Money
Job security
Sense of job being „worthwhile‟
Couldn‟t think of anything else would like to do
The challenge
“I don't know I was just sitting there thinking about what I want to do and I was like I can‟t think of
anything else I want to do and that was it.”
“And I thought it was a really good time because I just hated that other degree. I will just do something
else”
“When I was a child I went to an ophthalmologist and he made my mum smile and so I wanted to be
like that guy”
“If I can have any influence on someone that comes in for any other reason as a GP and I can have a
5 minute chat that will change their life, so I think that‟s very important.”
“You have to put your doctor face on. That‟s why it's so exciting but you‟ve got to be like hmmm”
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Career decisions are governed by three forces
For many, it is important that a medical career is flexible and has a balanced
impact on quality of life
Making career decisions: Impact on lifestyle
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Particularly amongst female participants, there is a concern that choice of medical
career may impact on ability to have a family
Understanding the extent to which a particular specialty will have an impact on
work/life balance is important for participants
Taking into consideration the flexibility that a specialty will provide is also a
consideration for participants
 Participants would like to have control over choice in terms of where they would
be located
Specialties that offer additional benefits such as training and opportunities are
particularly appealing
For many, salary differences between specialties is not a driver as it is recognised that
earnings will be more than sufficient
 A $20k/$30k difference between salaries is not likely to impact on decision
“Especially with surg, it's like under the rug. It's like no we‟re really flexible, we love women, and then
you get into the training program and they‟re like also you can‟t take a day off for the next 6 years
sorry”
“Lifestyle. So like being an obstetrician where you have got patients who are on call you might have to
leave the dinner table to go and do a caesarean doesn‟t really do it for me.”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah it's a lifestyle factors. How much free time you have, working hours. That sort of stuff”
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“Like GP I think is a lot more active, you can choose if you would like to do it. And you have a bit more
flexibility over where you want to do [it], so if you pick a speciality it's sort of like okay I will do this
speciality and I will do it pretty much anywhere that they will have me and it's like I will do whatever
they want me to do to get in.”
“You have to find that balance between a career that will fit your lifestyle and one you really like.”
“Like they‟re [GPs] really interested, they‟re the ones that are out there pushing it. They‟re out there
with stands, and they‟re like look at us, we‟re really flexible, you can go anywhere, all these great
opportunities, we will offer you extra training”
Students and recent graduates need to ‘feel’ the different specialties prior to
making a decision
Making career decisions: The role of experience
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„Experiences‟ are critical for participants both in terms of their own immersion in the
role and stories heard or read from others including peers, older students, mentors and
consultants
Rotations are critical in career choice as participants get to „feel‟ the different
environments, the interactions between people and ensuing reactions
 Experiences are forged by multiple layers of encounters, connections and
relationships
In this way, specialties are systematically ruled out, which indicates that a career
decision may be based upon what is left after all else is eliminated
“I think probably the best way is to sort of learn for yourself and just follow them around”
“She [consultant whilst on rotation] talked great with people, everyone loved her”
“Like sometimes in gen med I hate it and then I think oh [after further sessions on rotation].”
“My friends and I it's more like we rule out things every rotation. Yeah that one is sort of okay but then
that one is not. We kind of just cutting down on things. Rather than like picking one”
“For me it [choosing a speciality] was much more of an almost an emotional response”
What are participants looking for?
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Students and recent graduates are looking to form an impression based on a number
of key factors
 Hours of work
 Whether the person enjoys the work
 If they had done any specialties before and why they changed
Inspirational speakers, almost arrogant
Don‟t want to hear the negative parts of the job; this needs to be worked out
individually
How would they know if they have found the right specialty?
 It has to „feel‟ right
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“You give up your holidays and if you go for 2 weeks and you're loving every minute of it for 12 hours
a day then it's a pretty good sign”
“I think when it comes to the negative side where I think it's very individual.”
Despite the apparent self-governance over the decision making process, it is
also accepted that a decision may be affected by forces outside of one’s control
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Many participants stated there is not a need to make the decision yet indeed this is
something that is expected to be made during internship
There is much apprehension that colleges will ultimately have the decision as to
whether you are accepted on a course or not
There is also a lot of recognition that there is/will be a lot of competition for some
specialties
 For some, this may prompt action to make a decision sooner rather than later
Naturally, there is a lot of concern about making the wrong decision and despite the
widely accepted view that one can change careers, there is a feeling that this would be
challenging
“I think it would be hard, it would be quite hard to change specialities, because I think it would be hard
to go from like being a junior registrar or whatever then a senior registrar, and then finishing your
training and then having to go back to like down the bottom of the pecking order”
“Well it's very interesting, so sometimes you're sitting in a lecture and you go wow, this particular
organ is completely amazing. And there are so many things that could possibly go wrong with it. I
could almost spend my entire life just researching this one thing and never get bored. But I guess
yeah the other point of view is I guess you take whatever fellowship you get into”
What else do students and recent graduates need to know in order make a
decision?
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What is the content of course?
What does the specialty involve?
 What will be spending our time doing?
What are the logistics?
 Where, when, expectations on travel
 Exams, assessments
Generally, college websites are considered quite useful for this information, but there
was consensus that more depth was required in terms of the mechanics of each
specialty
“The steps to go through and you know at what point you can sit exams, and what point you can do part
time and how long it will take you if you do and all that sort of stuff and I think having that kind of detail
sort of really set out information that could be beneficial”
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Online information sources are plentiful, although participants appear to be
drawn towards the stories written on blogs
Where do students and recent graduates look for career information?
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College websites are considered to be useful sources of information in terms of the
mechanics and logistics of courses
Networks such as studentweb and hospital networks are considered useful sources of
career information
Specific websites cited for career information include The Westin and Medscape, for
which many participants have acquired associated apps
Although not explicitly stated as useful sources of, many participants cited accessing
blogs as they can often provide insight and a point of view
 Specific interest in blogs is in experiences/stories that provide context to the
specialty
Naturally „Google‟ is a common starting point for searches without a specific website in
mind
“My tutor is a radiologist, as part of our discussion group she actually showed us a blog, it's called I
think neuroimaging on the net, like the blog of all these images as identified patients, and their scans.
And actually that was quite helpful. And I think they also on the side of that they have some
experiences with radiologists talking about the patients, some of the patients they‟ve seen. How they
do about, what we can do and gave us some insight on what that specialty was like. And I think it was
a relatively reliable source, because it was introduced to us by the radiologist.”
“It's like reading a novel you read a lot about what someone else is doing, what they‟re thinking.”
“There‟s like one of them that writes the blog that is doing like the psych rotation and I always read her
blog. Because she has a really interesting view on things”
“When you go on blog you haven‟t met this person before and you're supposed to sort of read that and
then decide what type of person you're talking to. And then decide whether that applies to you or no”
Data to inform career choice is in abundance which students and recent
graduates take advantage of; the key however, lies in the analysis. They have
the ability to successfully synthesise multiple sources to reach a decision
Where do students and recent graduates look for career information?
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Participants who have graduated and are working at hospitals
Experience from rotation
Talking to consultant and hearing the personal „stories‟
Career nights/career expos
 Although it is well recognised that college representatives will not be able to
provide the complete „story‟
 Information nights run by the different societies (e.g., GPSN)
 Of particular appeal are when the societies have organised for a clinician to
come in and speak about case studies
 Workshops run by different societies
 Grand rounds
 Tutor
 Students and recent graduates then undertake a process of critical examination to
work out what it means for them
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“Because they [graduates] will be a really honest point of view, like yeah which is good and which is
bad and you can actually see for yourself what their lifestyle is like”
“The nights that you have, or information nights like that that kind can make or break a specialisation”
“It was a board and he [expo college representative] has just gone through a flow diagram, a flow
chart and he just showed us anaesthetics, you do so on and so forth and you sit your exams in ECR.
And then you do another 3 years and then you can sit your exams again and then you're a consultant
and so on and so forth with all the other specialities”
“I suppose you have to kind of go okay so they‟re saying they like it for this, this and this reason. Do I
like those reasons?”
“And then decide whether that applies to you or not.”
Medical information sources for the most part are used for fast reference
Where do students and recent graduates look for medical information?
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MIMS/MIMS online
The Age is useful for science news and innovation
 Emerging healthcare technologies
 Not actively seeking out science articles
AMH online
Ovid
Scope (considered better than Ovid for searching for articles)
Medscape /eMedicine apps
 Good for quick disease reference and usually provides a good summary
 Some apps not easy to read
Oxford Clinical Handbook (as a book on iPad)
Uptodate.Inc (evidence based, peer-reviewed information source)
 Accessed on hospital networks
 Not for studying, just quick reference
Most information sources are considered a good starting place if you know little about
disease area
BMI
Australian Doctor (recommended by doctors)
Paging Doctor – good medical forum (written by specialists and trainees)
Scope (finds articles)
“Up to date has an overview for each thing. Yeah just to work out how to use it, and they will have a
quick overview and then you click through and it gives you. Up to date if you really want to know about
something they will give you almost everything you need to know”
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Social media is not yet used as a source of career information
The role of technology and social media
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Technology and information sources are not used to help make decisions; they merely
provide a larger pool of information which can be retrieved relatively speedily at a
convenient time
Information gathered is used in combination with experiences to help make a career
decision
Social media is not currently used or even considered as a source for career
information
The expectations of technology are that it will continue to enhance the medical
landscape; expectations are high
Indeed, when complete focus is needed, many students and recent graduates still
prefer a book format to online publications
Although social media is not seen as the vehicle for career and clinical information, it can be
harnessed for student and graduate networking and peer-2-peer activities
“Most of the time it's okay [to read online publications] but I find that if I'm really trying to study for
something I can‟t do it because I'm reading it because it doesn‟t stick in your head but then I start, but
then I find it really difficult to synthesise information if I'm using it for a long period of time, I find it really
hard to go backwards and forwards and just check things”
“I think when I'm a doctor because I‟ve got an iPad and I've been using it a lot and I'm a doctor and I
think I'm able to get that integrated with hospital systems I would be really into that. I'm just hoping that
when I'm a doctor they‟re sufficiently IT savvy from what they are now”
And what about social media as a source of career information?
“Not much.”
“Nah.”
“I think people use it for like life”
“It's not like you can really find a doctor on Facebook.”
“No.”
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Compared with most other specialties, being a GP has many advantages and
ticks many boxes
Advantages of choosing GP as a specialty


The majority of participants saw a large number of advantages in choosing GP as a
specialty; indeed GP was the specialty that most would include as a consideration
Perceived advantages include:
 Flexibility (choice of location, working hours)
 Lifestyle (enables family)
 Sense of community
 Opportunity to undertake preventative medicine
─ Although this was not for everyone
 Managing the whole patient‟s life (immunisation, depression, etc)
 Holistic medicine
 Opportunity to get into global health
─ Can influence screening and preventative measures
“Like for me because I know I'm going to be a GP because there‟s the flexibility that that kind of
lifestyle gives you. That you can take the time off and come back and there is continual education in
GP practices as well. There‟s so much that you can do”
“I think as a general practice you do get to see a lot of different things. So you know you develop a
strong relationship with your patients because you see them all the time”
“And it still has that scope because there are speciality areas you know you can be GP O&G and like
a GP in a anaesthetics or ED or whatever else. So I think it's really got that benefit of being really
general but still having a lot of the lifestyle perks that I think a lot of us are really looking for”
“GP I think is a lot more active and you have a bit more flexibility over where you want to go. so if you
pick a speciality it's sort of like okay I will do this speciality and I will do it pretty much anywhere that
they will have me and it's like I will [have to] do whatever they want me to do to get in”
Participants are conscious of negative perceptions around GPs not being
considered as ‘important’ as other specialties
Disadvantages of choosing GP as a specialty

Disadvantages
 Negative perceptions of being a GP
 Some perceptions about GP being a „lesser‟ specialty
 Rewards are slow to come to fruition
 Perceptions that pace of GP is slow compared to other areas
 Urban GP unappealing for many
 Concerns with motivations of super clinics
 Perceived to be not as challenging as other specialists
“And the doctors, like I don't know if this is actually rumour, but I have heard that clinics are purposely
select people who they know that they can just basically whip and be like you have got 7 minutes to
see this patient no matter what they want, just give them the script and then get them out of there”
“And I hate that when people outside medicine say to you are you going to be a specialist or be a GP”
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“Plus it‟s not as difficult compared to the other specialities. And I've heard stories that GP referral
letters were not read because the opinion didn‟t matter as much as say the consultant, at the time.”
“I‟ve got a fair bit of time left that I would like to sort of challenge myself and try and be specific in a
particular area”
“I mean I would quite like the exciting fast pace like acute clinical care”
“I suppose it wouldn‟t be the foremost reason I would choose to do GP. I can see why it's important,
I'm not sure it is something that makes me wake up every morning and to check people‟s blood
pressure”
“I would get a bit bored seeing lots of like the mundane problems that GPs see”
Several students and recent graduates talked about the appeal of a rural GP: the
best of both worlds?


Several participants discussed the appeal of a rural GP which for them combines all
the previously stated advantages with the „excitement‟ and „challenges‟ that secondary
care specialties are perceived to offer.
Advantages of becoming a rural GP include:
 Can assist in hospitals with different specialties
 A sense of importance and belonging
 Requires a higher level of skill and self-reliance than an urban GP because of
reduced opportunity to refer instead having to use any resources that are
available
 More training available
“People actually want your opinion and value what you have to say. And like they [rural patients]
obviously really look up to their real GPs, and really like to come and see you and they have a good
relationship. Whereas at the big city clinics I'm [a patient] just coming in for a script and if you don‟t
give it to me I will just go to one of the other 100 GPs that‟s also working here. I think it would be a lot
less rewarding in the city. “
“Yeah and I think to be honest it‟s much more interesting in the country.”
“Yeah it's not like the huge GP, 24 hour...”
“Yeah antibiotics and send them away or pain killers. Or write referral letters for other professions.”
“It's kind of like a little bit like being in an emergency department but you're a GP as well”
“Someone [a GP] in the country far away from the metropolitan areas would have to rely almost
entirely on themselves in order to treat the patient”
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Interaction with industry has thus far been limited, although participants see a
role for collaboration with industry
The role of industry




Although very few participants had been exposed to pharmaceutical representatives,
there was little of the cynicism often found amongst general practitioners who have
been practicing for many years
Only a couple of participants had strong concerns about interacting with industry and a
couple were aware of negative perceptions of sales representatives
Where participants had had contact with industry, they were considered to be positive
experiences
For many participants, industry is a useful source for understanding more about
treatments and patient information.
 It is accepted that there is a natural bias in any discussion had but still useful to
understand
“I'm not actually sure how it works at the moment like how do, like I hear about like pharmaceutical
reps going to talk to GPs but I'm not really sure how that works at the moment”
“Like our Med Soc is going through a process at the moment of eliminating all pharmaceutical
sponsorship with every event. Which I think is kind of sad”
“I actually did find it quite helpful because you find out a lot about their drugs”
“They provide really good free books. And they're really useful. Like one page kind of fact sheets,
and like patient information and stuff.”
“There‟s no problem with showing a GP a research article that says this drug works better than this
one”
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Key Results – Focus Groups

Students and recent graduates are likely to make a decision based on three areas;
 Own experience within a specialty
 Others experience of a specialty
 Impact of lifestyle

Experiences are best formed through face-to-face contacts

Many students and recent graduates are interested in a career in general practice as it
tends to fit well with a desire for a balanced work and lifestyle

However, medical students and recent graduates are conscious of negative
perceptions that are sometimes associated.
 Although they are able to challenge these perceptions, it is possible that there
is an incremental effect of the negative perceptions on students‟ and graduates‟
view of GP as a career.

For many, a career as a rural GP overcomes many of these perceptions as the role is
considered to be very challenging and anyone working in this area of high value to the
medical community

As GP as a career needs to combine ideas and expressions of pace and excitement
and quick rewards

Students and recent graduates enjoy the advantages of having multiple information
sources (both career and medical) available and indeed utilise many.

However, participants do not tend to rely on one or two key sources solely, preferring
instead an aggregated analysis to work out what is meaningful for them at an individual
level. Students and recent graduates synthesis multiple sources of information
constantly to reach a conclusion or decision

Students and recent graduates are skilled at recognising potential bias within sources
and work hard to balance information gaps.

Generation Y are known to be „tech savvy‟. For medical students and recent
graduates this is apparent in the excitement about how e-systems can be more
integrated into hospital networks and the usage of medical information apps on smart
phones for quick reference.
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Key Findings - Online Survey
Technology
The internet is the most commonly used tool for medical and career information typically using
PCs or laptops. Mobiles are used by two thirds of respondents for medical education.
Use of technologies
100%
99%
97%
Internet
Smart or iPhone
68%
33%
Windows laptop
50%
PC
48%
iPod or similar
2%
84%
57%
57%
55%
55%
Personal
53%
9%
iPad or Tablet
19%
Medical Education
Career Information
38%
33%
37%
36%
33%
MacBook
Hand held device
6%
14%
21%
11%
10%
9%
iMac
Q1. For which purpose do you use these technologies?
Base: Total n=609
Nearly a quarter of respondents spend 4 or more hours online every day. Facebook (95%) and
YouTube (80%) are the social media sites visited by the greatest proportion of respondents.
Social media sites visited last month
Facebook
95%
YouTube
80%
Google +
32%
Blogs
25%
Twitter
15%
Other
9%
LinkedIn
7%
Flickr
5%
Do not access
Average time spent online
> 4 hours – 23%
2 – 4 hours – 35%
1 – 2 hours – 29%
31 mins to 1 hour – 10%
< 1 hour – 4%
Males are significantly
more likely to access
Twitter and YouTube
than females
2%
Q2. On average, how much time per day do you spend online?
Q3. In the last month, which of the following, if any, online social media sites did you access?
Base: Total n=609
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In a typical day, respondents spend just under half an hour using social media; this is most
commonly accessed through laptops (29%) or iPhones (25%).
Technology platform used to access social media
Windows laptop
29%
iPhone
25%
MacBook
PC
11%
iPad
Android
7%
3%
iMac
2%
Other smartphone
2%
Tablet
Average time using
online social media:
28 mins daily
21%
1%
Q4. On average, what proportion of your daily „online time‟ do you spend using social media?
Q5. Through which technology platform do you access social media most regularly?
Base: Total n=609, Q5: n=595
Current career information seeking
More than half of the respondents are actively seeking career information from Year 4 of their
education. Hence, it is critical to focus access to career resources around this segment.
% of respondents actively seeking medical career information in
each year of study
73%
51%
23%
24%
Year 1
(n=550)
Year 2
(n=473)
78%
88%
57%
31%
Year 3
(n=396)
Year 4
(n=311)
Year 5
(n=166)
Year 6 Jnr Doctor Jnr Doctor
(n=102) Year 1
Year 2
(n=188) (n=136)
Top 2 box score (very active)
Q6.To what extent did you actively seek information about your medical career options
throughout your medical career?
Numerical scale: 1 (very active) to 5 (not active)
Base: Total n=609
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Respondents are seeking career information with higher frequency via a variety of peer-2-peer
discussions, through rotations and personal experience and conversations (Table 1). The
RACGP and GPSN are the two most frequently accessed colleges or associations.
Table 1: Source and frequency of access of medical career information
At least monthly
%
Quarterly
%
Mean score
Peer conversations/discussions
78
12
2.7
Rotations / Experience
59
16
3.2
Conversations/discussion with mentors
46
23
3.8
Conversations/discussion with academics
35
22
4.1
Face-2-face conferences
15
15
5.0
RACGP
25
22
4.5
GPSN
29
19
4.5
AMA
22
18
4.7
Australian Medical Students’ Association publications/website
19
18
4.8
College information handbooks
15
21
4.9
GPRA
17
14
5.1
Other college websites
10
13
5.3
GP Australia
10
9
5.5
Postgraduate Medical Council of Victoria
5
5
6.0
Doctor Q (Australian Medical Association Queensland)
4
5
6.1
FACE-2-FACE DISCUSSION
COLLEGES AND ASSOCIATIONS
Q7. Thinking specifically about sources of medical career information, how often do you access each source?
Note: A lower mean score indicates a higher frequency of access
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Seeking career information via medical press, training organisations and other forms is more
infrequent than for face-to-face and colleges and associations.
Table 1 (cont): Source and frequency of access of medical career information
MEDICAL PRESS
MJA
Other Medical journals
Australian Doctor
Australian Family Physician
Medical Observer
TRAINING ORGANISATIONS
Training provider publications
GPET/AGPT
MEDICAL CAREER SPECIFIC SOURCES
Medical careers publications
Medical Forum
Career expos
NON-MEDICAL MEDIA
Mass Media Newspapers
Mass media online
Online social media
ONLINE DISCUSSION
Health care professional blogs/forums
Peer Blogs/forums
Online conferences
OTHER
Government websites
At least monthly
%
Quarterly
%
Mean score
28
30
22
22
14
18
13
15
15
11
4.5
4.4
4.9
4.9
5.3
23
18
19
14
4.8
5.2
21
14
3
22
13
19
4.7
5.1
5.3
30
28
20
9
10
8
4.0
3.7
3.4
12
11
6
8
8
5
5.4
5.3
5.8
21
15
4.7
For a complete breakdown see the Appendix
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Face-to-face discussions are considered the most comprehensive sources for information.
Satisfaction of information sources for comprehensiveness
% of respondents who marked extremely satisfied or satisfied
79
76
69
RACGP
58
GPSN
57
50
47
GPRA
62
45
Australian Medical Students’ Association
58
42
40
AMA
58
GP Australia
GPET/AGPT
57
Doctor Q
MEDICAL PRESS
37
29
27
NON-MEDICAL MEDIA
39
Mass media online
MJA
39
Online social media
Australian Doctor
38
Medical Observer
25
22
19
ONLINE DISCUSSION
34
30
34
Peer Blogs/forums
49
Career expos
Medical Forum
41
33
Online conferences
28
26
OTHER
Government websites
35
Q8a. Of the information sources you have accessed for medical career information, mark you level of
satisfaction for comprehensiveness? (scale of 1 to 5)
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In line with comprehensiveness of sources, respondents find the face-to-face discussions of
most use.
Satisfaction of information sources for usefulness
82
75
68
Conversations/discussion with
academics
60
GPSN
58
RACGP
58
50
47
45
GPRA
53
41
AMA
38
57
GPET/AGPT
55
Doctor Q (Australian Medical Association
Queensland)
MEDICAL PRESS
42
MJA
39
Australian Doctor
38
26
21
NON-MEDICAL MEDIA
Mass media online
Online social media
Medical Observer
33
GP Australia
32
28
26
21
ONLINE DISCUSSION
32
Peer Blogs/forums
51
Career expos
40
Medical Forum
31
Online conferences
29
26
21
OTHER
Government websites
35
Q8b. Of the information sources you have accessed for medical career information, mark you level of
satisfaction for usefulness? (scale of 1 to 5)
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Similar to relevance and comprehensiveness of sources, respondents find the face-to-face
discussions most useful.
Satisfaction of information sources for relevance
80
78
73
55
GPSN
52
RACGP
47
47
64
GPRA
38
37
36
35
59
48
GP Australia
GPET/AGPT
47
AMA
Queensland)
MEDICAL PRESS
Australian Doctor
32
MJA
31
Mass media online
25
Online social media
25
Medical Observer
27
25
48
Career expos
39
29
Peer Blogs/forums
28
Online conferences
24
OTHER
Government websites
Medical Forum
20
ONLINE DISCUSSION
25
NON-MEDICAL MEDIA
35
33
31
28
Q8c. Of the information sources you have accessed for medical career information, mark you level of
satisfaction for relevance to you? (scale of 1 to 5)
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Respondents are seeking explanation and clarity with respect to training pathways to aid in their
career decisions (Table 2). They would like to find this information online or through colleges and
schools.
Table 2: Types of information which would help respondents to make a decision about a
medical career and, the location where this information should be available
What information would be helpful?
Info on training pathways/career info
sessions/easy to read/clear booklet for
students/way to understand the process
32%
More time/first-hand experience/more rotations
27%
Where should it be available?
Online
30%
Training colleges/Clinical school/Uni/tertiary
hospitals/college handouts/information books/in
course/coursework
27%
Access to those in the programs/guidance from
people who have been there/first hand stories/face
to face access to med professionals beyond
uni/get doctors in to say what they do
23%
Mentor programs/junior doctors/health
professionals/face to face
21%
Explanation of what each specialty
involves/specialist positions/patient characteristics
of specialty
22%
Rotations/placement/clinical exposure/on the job
14%
Q9a. What additional information do you need to help you make decisions about your medical career?
Q9b. Where should you be able to obtain this information?
Base: Q9a n=413, Q9b n=437
Information delivery
The vast majority of respondents prefer email as the delivery method for career information. A
career map simulator would be useful for over four-fifths
Preferred delivery method for career information among respondents
Email
Face-2-Face
Mail
Social media
Conference
iPhone
iPad
SMS
App alert
Android
Other smartphone
66%
16%
4%
4%
4%
3%
2%
1%
1%
1%
1%
83% of respondents indicated that
a simulator which maps career
pathways would be very useful or
useful.
Q10. What is your preferred delivery method to bring career information to your attention?
Q11. To what extent would a simulator which maps medical career pathways given a number of possible inputs be useful to you?
Base: n=609
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Search engines along with face-2-face and personal experience are the most frequently
accessed information sources for medical/clinical information
Frequency of accessing resources for medical (clinical) information
% of respondents
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90 100
Search engines
Colleagues
Tutors/Lecturers
Experience on rotations
Therapeutic Guidelines
Medical databases (e.g. Medline, Cochrane)
Mentors
eMedicine
MIMS
Australian Medicines Handbook
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Other medical journals
Pharmacists
Government websites
MJA
Access medicine.com
Australian Prescriber
RACGP
Australian Doctor
Prescribing software
Q13a. Of the following resources, how often do you currently access them for medical (clinical) information?
Base: n=609
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Therapeutic Guidelines, experience on rotations and MIMS are the most frequently accessed
guides for prescribing information.
Frequency of accessing resources for prescribing information
% of respondents
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
MIMS
Tutors/Lecturers
Colleagues
Mentors
Pharmacists
Search engines
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
eMedicine
Government websites
NPS: Better choices, Better health
Access medicine.com
Clinical Information Access Portal (CIAP)
Q13b.Of the following resources, how often do you currently access them for pharmaceutical (prescribing) information?
Base: n=609
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In the future, face-2-face interaction with specialists and peer-2-peer are considered to be the
most useful resources for medical/clinical information.
84% of respondents were very interested or interested in having everything for their medical
career (e.g. continuing education, medical information, professional development) in one
location.
Extent to which resources will be useful for medical/clinical information in 5 years
Specialists
88%
Peers/colleagues
87%
Medical publications
80%
Specialist medicines info providers
78%
66%
Internet search engines
56%
Colleges
Other professional organisations
50%
Gov. bodies
49%
Pharma companies
Other
25%
10%
Q14. Hypothetically, as a general practitioner 5 years from now, to what extent would each of the following be useful sources for
medicines/clinical information?
Q16. In five years from now, to what extent would you be interested in having everything for your medical career in one location
(continuing education, medical information, professional development?)
Base: n=609
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Email is the delivery mechanism which would be accessed for medical information in the
future (5 years from now) by the vast majority of respondents. Conferences and face-2-face
were also chosen by a majority of respondents as mechanisms through which they would
access medical information.
Medical information delivery preferences in the future
Email
84%
Conferences
70%
Face-2-Face
60%
Mail
38%
App alerts
36%
Social media websites
23%
SMS alerts
Other
11%
3%
Q15. Which delivery mechanisms would you would access for medical information in five years?
Base: n=609
Online learning and face-2-face small group meetings and conferences are seen as the most
effective means of delivering CPD and education in 5 years from now.
Ranking of mechanisms for delivery of continuing professional development and
education
Online learning
25%
18%
Face-2-Face small group meetings
24%
21%
Face-2-Face conferences
Applications for iPad or iPhone (or similar)
21%
17%
15%
19%
12%
11%
12%
14%
15%
14%
9%
10%
12%
8%
8%
13%
Ranked 1st
Ranked 2nd
Informal discussion among peers
9%
Online conferences 4% 7%
11%
14%
11%
13%
18%
15%
14%
Ranked 3rd
Ranked 4th
Ranked 5th
Webinars 2% 8%
7%
Pharmaceutical Reps – Interactive and Online 2%4% 5% 8%
10%
14%
10%
Blogs 1%3% 5% 4%
Q12. Hypothetically, if you were working as a General Practitioner 5 years from now, rank the top five (1 being the highest option)
mechanisms for delivery of continuing professional development and education?
Base: n=609
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Current attitudes to working in general practice
Experience (work related, personal experience and rotations) and a balanced quality of life
(including lifestyle and flexibility) are important when thinking about a GP career.
Importance of factors associated with a career in general practice
% of respondents who marked very important or important
95
Work related experiences with general practice
Personal experiences with general practice/practitioners
94
Balancing life and work
94
Exposure to general practice via placements or rotations (PGPPP, etc)
93
Lifestyle
93
Flexibility
93
91
Balancing study and work
90
Variety and scope of practice
87
Influence of academic or clinical role models
80
Long-term continuity of care and patient relationships
75
Length of training
72
Remuneration
57
Opportunity to work in rural and regional areas
30
Lack of prestige compared to other specialities
Others
11
Q17. Thinking about a career in general practice, how important to you are the following factors: (scale of 1 to 5 where is „very important
„and 5 is „not important at all‟)
Base: n=609
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Nearly 1 in 5 respondents stated they would definitely go into General Practice; although half
of these made this decision in final years, 17% had made this decision in year 1.
% respondents indicating their likelihood to pursue a career in general practice
1 (Will not go into GP)
1 5
7
8
2
3
4
16
5
6
12
7
8
13
Yr 1
Yr 2
10%
Yr 3
10%
6%
Yr 4
Yr 5
9
25%
21%
9%
10 (Will definitely go into GP)
12
Of those respondents (39%) who indicated that they are
likely to pursue a career in general practice – the year
of study in which they made their decision
17%
9
3%
Yr 6
18
Current medical labour force
numbers – 67,000 clinicians
including 28,000 GPs.
If only 18% of students
choose a career as a GP
and the medical labour force
remains the same size equals a minimum of only
12,000 GPs
Yr 1 (Jnr Dr) Yr 2 (Jnr Dr)
Q18a. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is will not go into general practice (including those already in Speciality training) and 10 is will definitely
go into general practice, to what extent have you decided that you will pursue a career in general practice?
Q18b. In which year of study did you decide that you will definitely go into General Practice?:
Base: n=609
Although the majority of respondents believe technology innovations will be generally
beneficial, 1 in 5 respondents believe that tele-health will not be positive for GPs.
Impact of PCEHRs on outcomes for…
The GP
The patient
The community
The GP
The patient
The community
70%
65%
64%
Impact of tele-health on outcomes for…
61%
59%
45%
-7%
Positive (Top 2)
-5%
-6%
Negative (Bottom 2)
-9%
-10%
-20%
Positive (Top 2)
Negative (Bottom 2)
Q20a. To what extent do you think that the implementation of Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records (PCEHR) will improve
outcomes for:
Q20b. To what extent do you think that the implementation of Telehealth (24 hour GP access over the telephone) will improve outcomes for:
Base: n=609
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Respondents see the future of GP work as a multidisciplinary approach. Indeed, half expected
to be working alongside 7 or more professionals by 2020 (Table 3).
Table 3: Health care professionals which respondents indicated that they would be
working with in a general practice setting in 2012
professionals working alongside GPs
%
Practice Nurse
85
Physiotherapist
74
Psychologist
71
Nurse Practitioner
65
Pharmacist
65
Nutritionist
58
Pathologist
50
Nurse (Disease Specific)
49
Radiographer
42
Ophthalmologist
27
Acupuncturist
14
Chiropractor
10
Other
6
Q19. Hypothetically in 2020, which of the following health care professionals do you think you will be working
with as a GP, in your practice?
Base: n=609
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Although the majority are comfortable using apps to access medical information, less than 1 in
8 have found social media to be relevant to their medical career.
Attitudes associated with working in the medical and general practice fields
% of respondents who marked top 3 box agreement
Having allied health professionals on the same site as the GP
will be a benefit for the GP
71
Accessing relevant clinical information electronically is more
time efficient than any other format
69
I am comfortable using an app to access medical (clinical)
information
61
A major incentive to work in general practice are the working
hours
60
The GP clinic of 2020 will be entirely electronic
56
I am confident interacting with the empowered patient, „informed‟
by web-based input
27
There is enough career information available to make good
career decisions
26
I am open to receiving medical information via social media
platforms
26
I am comfortable interacting with pharmaceutical companies
The role of social media will be beneficial to how I will practice
medicine
I have found valuable information relating to my medical career
on social media sites
23
15
13
Q21. Using a 0 to 10 scale, where 1 is “strongly disagree” and 10 is “strongly agree”, can you tell me the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the following statements? Please use the full range from 1 to 10
Base: n=609
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Drivers analysis chart: an explanation
Attributes validated by both stated and derived importance
[Derived importance is calculated using logistic regresssion. The dependent variable (or outcome
variable) chosen for this analysis was Q18a]
Required
Key Drivers
Stated Importance
„Goes without saying‟. Won‟t help,
but hurts if not provided
Areas of primary focus.
Low Yield
Value Add Drivers
„Relatively safe to ignore‟ No
perceived value here
These attributes are not expected but a
good performance will increase confidence
Derived Importance
Personal experience with GPs and work experience are considered key drivers of respondents
who have decided to go into general practice. Flexibility and work life balance are also key
drivers for that decision
Required
Long-term continuity of
care and patient
relationships
Flexibility
Key
Stated Importance
Balancing life and work
Length of training
Balancing study and work
Opportunity to work in
rural and regional areas
Remuneration
Lack of prestige compared
to other specialities
Personal experiences with
general
practice/practitioners
Work related experiences
with general practice
Variety and scope of
practice
Lifestyle
Exposure to general
practice via placements or
rotations (PGPPP, etc)
Influence of academic or
clinical role models
Low Yield
Value Add
Derived Importance
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Sample Demographics
73% Female respondents
Mean age: 26 years
ACT
3%
VIC
23%
NSW
31%
TAS
6%
SA
8% NT
2%
WA
9%
QLD
18%
Q22. I am......
Q23. In what year were you born?
Q32. What is your current postcode?
Q24. At which University do you currently study or did you recently complete
your medical degree?
Base: n=609
University of study
Monash University
University of Melbourne
University of New South Wales
University of Queensland
University of Tasmania
University of Newcastle
University of Western Australia
Flinders University
Australian National University
Bond University
Deakin University
Griffith University
University of Sydney
University of Adelaide
University of Western Sydney
James Cook University
Other
University of Notre Dame - Fremantle
University of Notre Dame - Sydney
University of Wollongong
University of New England
%
9
8
8
7
7
6
6
6
3
2
5
5
5
4
4
3
3
3
3
2
1
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Sample Characteristics: Student status
I am a
34%
46%
54%
66%
Medical student
Recent graduate
Postgraduate
I entered my training:
%
Straight from school
46
High school to university to undergrad degree
to med school
47
High school to university to employment to
med school
8
Q25. Is / Was your degree postgraduate or undergraduate?
Q26. Which of the following best describes you? Are you a:
Q28a : I entered my medical degree?
Q28b : Which best describes how you entered into medical school training?
Base: n=609
Undergraduate
I entered my degree as an
53%
Postgraduate
47%
Undergraduate
Sample Characteristics: Pre-vocational Doctor
21% 21%
27%
N=127
73%
59%
Pre-vocational
Non pre vocational
Don't know
Undertaken PGPPP
Not undertaken PGPPP
Q27a. Are you already a pre-vocational Doctor?
Q27b. Have you undertaken a PGPPP (Prevocational General Practice Placements program) rotation?
Base: n=609
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Sample Characteristics: Location
%
Overseas born / Australian medical school training
30
Overseas born / Overseas medical school training
3
Australian born / Australian medical school training
67
46%
54%
Have lived rural
Urban only
Q29. Mark below which best describes you?
Q30 . Have you ever lived for more than 6 months in a regional, rural or remote location?
Base: n=609
Sample Characteristics: Hospital and rotations
61% of respondents have started rotations in hospital
11% of respondents have started rotations and are also working in the community
setting
N=437
Location of Hospital
Nonmetropolitan
29%
Metropolitan
71%
Q31a : Are you based or have started rotations in a hospital?
Q31b: Are you based in a metropolitan or non-metropolitan hospital?
Base: n=609
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Key Findings – Online Surveys

The overwhelming theme across the quantitative research is that respondents prefer
and seek out career and medical information via face-to-face, peer-to-peer and
personal experience.

Many students and recent graduates are driven to a career in general practice as a
consequence of work experience in the GP setting. In addition, work flexibility and
work/life balance are also seen as drivers for a career in general practice.

The preferred source for medical information in the future will be direct contact with
specialists, along with other face-to-face mechanisms such as conferences and peerto-peer. However, email and online learning are considered to be essential delivery
mechanisms for future medical information delivery and continued education.

Not only is the preference of students and recent graduates for face-to-face, peer-topeer and personal experience for medical and career information but it is highlighted
by the frequency with which they are seeking this information through via these
sources.

More than two thirds of the respondents provided extra information as to what is
currently lacking to help make their career choice. Clear information which provides
detail on training training pathways and career info sessions is sought.

Social media:
 Although most respondents are accessing (on average 30 minutes per day), it
is not accessed frequently when compared to other sources for career
information.
 It is also not considered as useful, comprehensive or relevant as face-to-face
sources
 Social media is not seen as a key delivery method for career information
 Currently, students and recent graduates are not convinced that social media
will be beneficial in a general practice setting

The introduction of tools such as the PCEHR and Telehealth are popular with strong
agreement that they will both benefit the patient and the community overall.

There is strong agreement across the respondents that in the future GPs will be
working as part of a team consisting of numerous health care professionals.
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Recommendations

Medicine students and recent medical graduates are making decisions in regards to going
into general practice in their early and mid stages of their education. Although the level of
career seeking activity is not as great as later years, this provides peak bodies and
associations with a defined timeframe as to when to target this audience to actively
pursue a career in general practice

Key drivers identified (such as flexibility and work/life balance) are important tools to use
in the promotion of general practice as a career

Development of additional mentoring programs and greater face-2-face contact with
general practitioners and in-situ experience

Development of a step-by-step guide of becoming a GP. This guide needs to be clear and
provide timelines (including face-2-face and experienced based training), training required
and lifestyle benefits

Although social media is not considered to be as useful or relevant as other sources of
career information, it certainly should be harnessed to build peer-to-peer networks which
can be linked to more formal sources of career information.
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About Ipsos Healthcare
Ipsos Healthcare is a global business focusing on research in the pharmaceutical, bio-tech,
and medical device markets. It is also the leading provider of global syndicated patient chart
studies covering over 20 different disease areas in over 20 countries.
Operating in over 40 countries, the team of 600 healthcare market researcher experts,
marketers and client-side brand-builders focus on delivering outcome-oriented research for its‟
clients.
Drawing from a broad range of qualitative and quantitative techniques, Ipsos Healthcare offers
custom and syndicated research programs to evaluate motivations, experiences, interactions
and influence of stakeholders forming the multi-customer markets which increasingly drive
business success in the healthcare industry.
Ipsos Healthcare is a specialized practice of Ipsos, a global market research company which
delivers insightful expertise across six specializations: advertising, customer loyalty,
marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management. With offices in 84
countries, Ipsos has the resources to conduct research wherever in the world our clients do
business. In October 2011 Ipsos completed the acquisition of Synovate. The combination
forms the world‟s third largest market research company.
In 2011, Ipsos generated global revenues of €1.363 billion (1.897 billion USD), Marketing
research contributing to nearly 50% of Ipsos revenues.
Visit www.ipsosmarketing.com to learn more
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Appendix A: Literature Review
Literature Review
Executive Summary
Gen Y, are often considered misunderstood and different from generations before them. Gen
Y makes up over a quarter of the Australian population. They are characterised by their fun,
vibrate attitude towards life. Gen Y is characterised by their relationships with friends. They
are uncertain and transient spenders and are participative and creative.
Gen Y has grown up with technology and easily adapt to new forms of technology. Gen Y in
essence drives “popular” new technology through sheer weight of population. Instant
responses and instant connectivity characterise Gen Ys‟ expectations of technology. They
have embraced social media as just a part of their lives and are the leading users of
networking sites.
Gen Y are „multi-taskers‟ and seek information from a variety of sources,
generally on the internet (often all at the same time).
In the workplace, Gen Y have a number of expectations including working in groups, a flexible
work/life balance, performance related salary, a good working environment and fair
compensation. Gen Y also believe that there should be considerable provision of training
opportunities and professional development. Gen Y craves opportunity and responsibility and
they are driven by success.
The breadth of information (e.g. peer reviewed journal publications, White Papers, newspaper
editorials) which has investigated, discussed and tried to understand Gen Y is abundant. The
purpose of the following literature is to gain a greater understanding into GenY (not just
medical students and doctors but all Gen Y) attitudes towards lifestyle and careers choices,
communication channels and technology used.
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Generation Y: Definition
There are a number of different suggestions for age groupings age groupings for Gen Y. For
the purpose of this literature review, the definition used here will be that of Huntley (2009)
(also aligning with Australian Bureau of Statistics data), people born between 1982 and 2000.
The term is derived from Generation X, the generation that preceded them.
Members of Generation Y are often referred to as “echo boomers” because they are the
children of parents born during the baby boom (the “baby boomers”). Generation Y has also
been referred to as millennials, internet generation, iGen and, net generation.
A term popularised by Demographer Bernard Salt and used by Baby Boomers to describe
their Gen Y children is KIPPERS (Kids In Parents Pockets Eroding Retirement Savings).
In Australia, the Gen Y demographic is made up of just over 5 million individuals and over one
quarter one the Australian population (exceeding both Generation X and Baby Boomers)
(Table 1).
Table 1: Demographics of the Australian Gen Y population
New
South
Victoria
Queensland
Wales
South
Western
Australia
Australia
Tasmania
Northern
Territory
Australian
Capital
Australia
Territory
Males
28.4
28.9
28.8
27.4
29.3
26.4
32.2
31.0
28.6
Females
26.7
27.0
27.7
25.6
27.7
24.7
32.0
29.3
27.0
Total
27.4
27.9
28.3
26.6
28.4
25.5
32.1
30.0
27.9
(Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics: Australian Demographic Statistics, June 2010)
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What is it that sets Gen Y apart - Overall differences with other
generations
“There is nothing wrong with today's teenager that twenty years won't cure.”
Author Unknown
There are many reasons that generations differ and these differences can be generally
categorised as result of three effects which may or may not overlap with a generation
preceding their own. Traditionally, generations have been defined by a biological age bracket,
however, generations today can now be defined on sociological circumstances rather than
biologically (McCrindle, 2010). These sociological effects can be grouped into three
categories; life cycle effects, period effects and cohort effects.
1) Life cycle effects. Although young people today may be considered differen in attitude and
behaviours from older people, once they age, they may well become more like them in the
future.
2) Period effects. The impact of major events (wars; social movements; economic downturns;
medical, scientific or technological breakthroughs) is simultaneous across all generations,
however, the effect on each generation may in fact be completely different depending on
where a person falls in their life cycle.
3) Cohort effects. At stages when a generation is developing values, principles, and standard
expectations, which generally last for life. Trends experienced by a cohort can leave a
particularly deep impression on young adults. (Taylor and Keeter, 2010)
Much has been publicised in regards to Gen Y and what is considered to be their „I want it
now‟ attitude. However, there are a number of characteristics which set them apart from
previous generations. Gen Y are less likely to make long term commitments, for instance,
marriage, mortgage and long term career. Gen Y is also more likely to stay living with their
parents for longer than previous generations and in the USA, some relying on financial support
of their parents after leaving home. Gen Y is also highly educated with considerable options
throughout high school, particularly in choice of courses, and many options entering into
tertiary learning. Gen Y are also considered to be considerably more entrepreneurial than
previous generations with many not only working full time but also starting their own
businesses. Gen Y are also well travelled and are much more „global‟ in their thinking (Salt,
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2007). Gen Y are less religious, more self-expressive, liberal and tolerant and open to change
(Taylor & Keeter, 2010).
A recent study in the USA of over 2000 respondents across four generations provided insight
into how each generation consider themselves as unique. For Gen Y, their technology use
(24%), music and pop culture (11%), being liberal and tolerant, being smarter (5%) and
clothing were all (5%) were all common responses in what sets them apart. Among all four
generations, Gen Y was the only generation not to include „work ethic‟ as a feature which
makes them unique (Taylor & Keeter, 2010).
Table 2 below provides a snapshot of some differences between the last three generations
and the factors which characterize, separate and define them.
Table 2: Common differences which characterize generations
Baby Boomer
Beliefs and values
Motivations
Generation X
Work ethic
Variety
Lifestyle
Security
Freedom
Fun
Advancement
Individuality
Self discovery
Responsibility
Decision making
Generation Y
Relational
Authority
Experts
Friends
Brand loyalty
Information
Little brand loyalty
Brand switchers
Earning and
Conservative
Credit savvy
Uncertain spenders
spending
Pay-up-front
Confident investors
Short term wants
Credit dependent
Learning styles
Auditory
Auditory/visual
Visual
Content driven
Dialogue
Kinaesthetic
Monologue
Marketing and
Mass
communication
Multi-sensory
Descriptive
Participative
Direct
Viral
Through friends
Training environment
Classroom
Round table
Unstructured
Formal
Planned
Interactive
Quiet atmosphere
Relaxed ambiance
Management and
Control
Cooperation
Consensus
leadership
Authority
Competency
Creativity
Analysers
Doers
Feelers
(Source: Pendergast, 2008)
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From a marketing perspective, a survey of executives across 17 countries found that Gen Y
customers find products attractive if they are easy to start with little maintenance, provide top
tier performance, easy to understand, flexible, low fees/inexpensive and enables self
management and self control (Salt, 2007). In addition, they have incredible influence on older
generations on what to buy as older generations look to them for „what is hot and what is not‟
(Sheehan, 2006).
Gen Y and technology
“Technology can be our best friend, and technology can also be the biggest party
poopero. It interrupts our own story, interrupts our ability to have a thought or a
daydream, to imagine something wonderful because we're too busy bridging the
walk from the cafeteria back to the office on the cell phone.”
Steven Spielberg
Specific for Gen Y, a number of effects and events can help to categorise GenY from other
generations. Although global events like the fall of the Berlin Wall, September 11, wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan and the introduction of MTV have all shaped Gen Y and their attitudes and
lifestyle, a recurring theme through the literature which defines Gen Y is technology and its
complete integration with their lives. Gen Y were born during a period when they have had
constant access to technology (computers, internet, iPhones, SmartPhones, gaming, digital
TV, iPads and so on) and use of the technology are second nature to them. Some infer that
they cannot live without these technologies (Oblinger, D & Oblinger, J, 2005).
Gen Y is considered to have a natural ability to „multi-task‟ and are able to juggle a range of
media and technology at the one time. They have the ability to be chatting on the internet
while listening to their portable music player, watching TV or a DVD, all simultaneously.
The constant availability and access to technology has also meant that they also prefer
instantaneous response and connectivity. For instance, rather than waiting to receive
responses through emails, the preference is for instant messaging, or keeping in contact
through SMS messaging or phoning via mobiles (Simbillo, 2008). Gen Y connect and maintain
their relationships via mobile phones, email and online chat (Cameron, 2005).
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Further important characteristics of Gen Y‟s access and use of technology are twitch speed
(not conventional speed but at an incredibly fast pace), utilising and employing graphics and
photos (not text), play-orientated – using games for stimulation (not work orientated), using
random searching and access (not necessarily logical or step-by-step) and using parallel
processing (not linear) (Pendergast, 2009).
The vast majority (90%) of Gen Y Australians aged between 16-29 years are accessing the
internet daily and they tend to spend on average far longer on the internet per week than any
other generation (Neilson, 2010). In Australia, approximately two thirds of households are
connected to the internet and of those, three quarters are connected through broadband (ABS,
2010).
The Australian Council for Educational Research carried out a large scale piece of research
(also carried out across many OECD nations) among 15 year old school students in 2007. It
was noted that 97% of Australian students have access to computers at home, 87% of these
Gen Y students use a computer at home on a frequent basis, and more than 70% are using
the internet frequently as a tool for finding information and communication. It is also of note
that little difference was noted between high and low socioeconomic backgrounds in both use
of and confidence in using, a computer (Thomson & De Bortoli, 2007).
Surprisingly however, given the amount of exposure that Australian students have to
computers, their attitudes towards computers are not globally positive. It was hypothesised
that computers have become so much a part of their daily lives and routine that they have
become somewhat blasé in regards to access to and use of computers compared to students
in other countries.
Among all of the OECD nations surveyed, students from Australia were among the most
confident in performing routine tasks (e.g. open and closing files, printing) and are in general
satisfied with their computer skills. Similarly, Gen Y students are confident and understand the
workings of the internet and how to use it (Thomson & De Bortoli, 2007).
A major study of over 3,000 adults and teens in the USA in 2009 of technology use provided a
number of interesting results. Laptops have become the technology of choice for Gen Y. More
than half of Gen Y are connecting to the internet wirelessly, via a laptop or mobile phone
(Lenhart, 2010). A separate study utilising the same sample found that while online, the most
popular activities for Gen Y included watching videos, using social networking sites and
sending instant messages. It is of note that this study also found that blogging is becoming
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less popular among Gen Y (decrease from 28% to 14%) but among Generation X and Baby
Boomers, the numbers have increased (Zickuhr, 2010).
Mobile phone use and access to the internet is also prominent in Australia. Neilson (2010)
indicated that Gen Y are early adopters of mobile phone technology and with almost all
owning a phone and two thirds of those having internet capabilities. Half of Gen Y are
accessing the internet through their phone making it the fifth most common use of mobile
phones in that group (ABS, 2010). This result was echoed in a cross national study (20
countries) which found that more than 50% of Gen Yers have access to the internet on their
phones (Kohut et al., 2011).
In addition, research carried out by Opera Software among 300,000 customers indicates that
Gen Y now prefer to access the internet via their mobile phone or mobile device than via a
desktop or laptop (Opera Software) (Note: some response bias may be noted for this study
due to the nature of the relationship between the provider and the respondent). Similar results
were noted in a survey of 3,000 carried out by Accenture but this was in a much more simpler
sense in so far as that Gen Y simply preferred (51%) a mobile handset as their preferred
technology ahead of a PC.
Communication, Social Media and Gen Y
“The common reputation of Twitter is that it‟s frivolous, which isn‟t the case. If it‟s
set up right, it‟s a rich environment of lots of learning and sharing of important
material. It‟s not just „what I had for breakfast.”
Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Research Centers‟ Internet and American Life
Project
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Linkedin and Google+ are just a few of the available
social media and social networking sites available and comprise the group of sites which are
the most accessed across the internet. They are free, user friendly, engaging and Gen Y are
the vanguard in social networking popularity. Facebook is by far the most visited site,
particularly among Gen Y.
Some interesting Facebook statistics include as at January 2011 (DigitalBuzz, 2011):
500,000,000 active Facebook users – equated to 1 in 13 people on earth
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48% of 18to 34 year olds check Facebook as soon as they wake up
Approximately 28% check Facebook from smartphones before getting out of bed
The 18-24 year group grew the fastest at 74% in one year (2010 to 2011)
„Liking‟ “Drugs” is up 1132% in 2011
48% of Young Americans find out about News through Facebook
750 million photos were uploaded to Facebook over the New Year weekend
In October 2011, statistics on Australian social networking sites indicated that Facebook is the
most popular social networking site along with YouTube (10 million unique visits per month)
and Blogspot (over 4 million unique visits per month). (Cowling, 2011). It is expected that the
data shown below would be significantly driven by Gen Y.
1. Facebook – 10,659,580 users in Australia (up 30,980)
2. YouTube – 10 million UAVs / mo (up 100,000)
3. Blogspot – 4.1 UAVs / mo (down 500,000)
4. LinkedIn – 2.2 million UAVs / mo (up 400,000)
5. WordPress.com – 1.8 million UAVs / mo (down 200,000)
Kohut et al. (2011) found that across twenty countries Gen Y were the most likely compared to
other generations to use social networking. The figures peaked at 84% in Lithuania and 80%
in both Israel and USA.
A study of social media usage in the United States (Lenhart et al., 2010) among 3,000 teens
and adults found that three quarters of teens are now using social media, a significant
increase from previous years. The study did find that although social networking has
increased, the popularity of features has shifted with less teens more likely to send daily
messages to friends. However, the experience among the older Gen Y group (18-29 yrs)
seems to be fragmenting with the majority of those surveyed having two or more different
profiles. The study also pointed out that specific social media sites are in fact used by different
demographics more readily. Linkedin is the best example of this with only 7% of Gen Y having
a profile compared to 19% over the remaining sample.
It is of note that in Australia, access of social media through hand held devices, like mobile
phones, is becoming increasingly popular (39% of Gen Y) (Neilson, 2010).
Recent research commissioned by Telstra in 2011 with a representative sample of 1007
Australians, aged between 18-30, from across Australia in both metropolitan and regional
areas, indicates that Facebook use provides social credibility. The “check-in” function is used
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to engage with their „friends‟. The research highlighted that Gen Y users of Facebook are
“checking-in” to fashionable and trendy locations to provide that social credibility. The results
of the research of noted that one in ten Gen Y males have faked “check-ins” at locations
considered to be trendy and cool. Similarly, 27% of Gen Y‟s surveyed have installed
applications only because they are fashionable.
Technology: information seeking and learning
“Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and
motivating them, the teacher is the most important”
Bill Gates
Online learning and educational technologies are now an accepted norm and considered
integral in the provision of flexible education environments. Online environments such as
BlackBoard and WebCT provide the capacity for students to download lectures irrespective of
the area of study. Research has shown that there is high levels of enthusiasm and uptake
(81% of Gen Y students) for these kinds of learning technologies (Copley, 2007).
A major concern is that with the availability of these technologies, students will opt out of
attending lectures. The data however suggests that although some Gen Ys are opting for
recordings or podcasts of lectures, attendance and face-to-face interaction is still considered
to be of high importance (Budge, 2011) and to have a higher level of inclusion (Lynch et al.,
2009). Copley (2007) also found that although Gen Y students are downloading these
resources, they are being primarily used for revision purposes and preparation of assessment
tasks. A study of Gen Y students at Deakin University (Larkin, 2010) also noted that students
still value the interactive nature of learning which arises from face-to-face teaching.
Furthermore, a study of students in the USA indicated that 91% of Gen Y medical students
indicated that online learning as an exclusive mode of educational as the least important or
preferred instructional method. Matching results noted for the Gen X students (Boateng,
2012). This extends further to educational feedback with a preference for private forums and
noting that electronic feedback has certain limitations in its ability to provide feedback
considered as required for learning (Budge, 2011).
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Cameron (2005) suggested that Gen Y rates the internet as their preferred source of
information and that they tend to engage with multiple sources across the internet
simultaneously. A striking result from a study of journalism majors at Deakin University
indicated that one third of those sampled did not access newspapers and indeed tended to
borrow used magazines, perhaps suggesting a strong move away from traditional media as a
source of knowledge and information.
It has been suggested that the use of social media as a platform for learning can have its
benefits. There is a consistent trend throughout the literature which suggests that as a result of
social media‟s engaging nature and ability for all to participate. The use of social media
networks is, however, considered to be less comprehensively utilised than other e-learning
frameworks (Collin et al., 2011). It also provides exciting opportunities as blogs, wikis and
other social media provide networking opportunities for Gen Y students, particularly if they are
separated by distance and time, however, the study by Lynch et al. (2009) found that Gen Y
students did not consider social media as a popular tool for learning. The main threat of social
media as a learning platform however, is the perceived lack of control as a result of the public
nature of such sites (Downes, 2007).
A study carried out among 100 first year students at the University of Adelaide investigated the
implementation of Facebook within a course called “Imaging Our World”. While other
established educational sites such as Moodle were considered for this study, Facebook was
chosen due to its popularity and familiarity amongst the students. The “group” and “event”
features enabled the creation of an easily accessible and highly interactive forum which
students felt part of. In addition, it is easily maintained and a highly interactive forum and suits
the “anytime, anywhere” work attitude of Generation Y.
Students were asked to submit images and peers were also required to provide critiques of
their peers‟ submissions. The vast majority of students indicated that the Facebook concept
generated meaningful academic discussions, increased interaction with peers and
development of academic relationships. The study shows that Facebook can be successfully
integrated into courses as students were able to engage successfully with other students
feeing them from the constraints of the classroom and their own inhibitions, but also to
develop a sense of belonging in a learning community (McCarthy, 2009).
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Career – what are Gen Y’s attitudes and expectations towards career
and workplace
“Generation Y are self-confident, outspoken, passionate, opinionated, loyal
and impatient. They are easily bored and happily move onto other things and
interests. They have high expectations of their parents, friends, colleagues
and managers. They are ambitious, in a hurry and expect work and life to coexist harmoniously, even though they are not sure of how to make it work
yet….They are in demand in the workplace and they know it”
Henry (2006)
Gen Y already provides 2.8 million Australian employees, compared with 2.7 million baby
boomers (AMP-NATSEM, 207). These figures alone suggest that understanding this
generation and their work expectations and attitudes are essential for economic success of
organizations. The sentiments of Henry (2006) have been echoed across much of the
literature with respect to how Gen Y perceives themselves in the workplace.
Across the literature, a number of common themes are noted as to what sets Gen Y apart.
Gen Y have been noted to have a propensity to work in teams and be collaborative, they are
results orientated driven and have an enthusiasm for pressure (Shih & Allen, 2007). Unlike
previous generations however, Gen Y do not have the same loyalty to organizations as once
seen, knowing that lifetime employment with one company is highly unlikely (Morton, 2002;
Kim et al., 2009). This appears to be the case especially if their talents and work are
underutilized (Kim et al., 2009; Weingarten, 2009). Gen Y want and expect learning and
training opportunities throughout their career (Alch, 2000) inclusive of on-the-job training with a
view to staying marketable in the future (Morton, 2002; Wajs-Chazko, 2008). A good work/life
balance is a common trend throughout the literature for which Gen Y aspire (Zemke et al.,
2000; Crumpacker & Crumpacker, 2007).
Gen Y‟s also has the propensity to utilize technology in the workplace, where they are
somewhat automatic at multitasking using technology and technology platforms (Koffman &
Eckler, 2005; Rowh, 2007; Freifield, 2007). Multi-tasking using a number of technologies may
result in Gen Y changing the task drastically to create a more appealing outcome
(Wresniewski & Dutton, 2001).
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A recent study carried out by Hays Recruitment (2007) among 1,200 people in Australia
and New Zealand highlighted that Generation Y possess similar ideals to previous
generations but, they want more. The results confirmed those seen in other literature. For
instance, only two per cent of Generation Y view a career as a job for life compared to 12
per cent of the remainder of the workforce. This is reflected in length of time and
expectation to stay with a company (Generation Y anticipate staying with an employer for
between two to four years, while six years was the average response for the remainder of
the workforce).
For Generation Y, an organisation‟s reputation or brand, a strong belief in what a company
means and stands for and a meaningful profession are important elements in their decision
to work for an organisation (Hays, 2007). Not only is corporate reputation important but Gen
Y doing not just want colleagues; they want workmates and friends. Being part of a team
and having success as a team is highly important (Cairncross & Buultjens).
The characteristics of Gen Y‟s expectations about future employment conditions and personal
career development opportunities was summarized by Broadbridge et al. (2007) (Table 3).
These expectations and attitudes are a constant theme throughout the literature as already
noted.
Table 3: Common desirable characteristics noted among Gen Y for career development and
employment conditions
Employment conditions and terms
Personal career development
Employment, jobs and hours flexible
Interest in self development and improvement
Fast tracked and higher entry level with possibility
Seeks training opportunities and professional
of internal promotion
development
Performance related salary bonus
Drive for career success and security: need to
succeed
Willingness to sacrifice work life balance in short
Challenging
work:
creative
term for career gain
intellectual challenge
Good working environment
Less respect for rank
Fair compensation
Reap their employer‟s benefits
Provision of training opportunities
Need to meet personal goals
expression:
Crave opportunity and responsibility
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The recent study by Hays recruitment firm noted a number of differences between Gen Y and
other generations with respect to company loyalty. Generation Y are more likely to be loyal to
an employer who provides, in the following order of importance:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Honesty
Respect
Learning and development
Career progression
Good working conditions
Recognition and rewards
Strong leadership and management
Regular performance reviews
Competitive salary
Work/life balance
The remainder of workforce group surveyed are loyal to an employer who provides, in the
following order of importance:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Job satisfaction
Stable company
Learning and development
Work/life balance
Recognition and rewards
Strong leadership and management
Career progression
A culture that promotes accountability
Honesty
Support when required
Despite perceptions of differences between Gen Y and other generations, there is
considerable evidence which suggests that generations are not entirely dissimilar. For
example, a study among 580 students carried out at Flinders University found that there is no
difference between Gen Y and other generations in terms of expectations and attitudes
towards the workplace and working environment (Treuen & Anderson, 2010). Chen & Choi
(2007) found that across three generations of hospitality workers (including Gen Y) that all
three generations place high value on security and professional growth. However, the same
study also noted that Gen Y did place more emphasis on workplace environment than
previous generations.
Findings from an American study using data from the WorkTrends™ survey with a sample
size of over 100,000 concurred with previous literature that generations are in fact more
similar than different at work and only small variances were noted for aspects such as job
satisfaction, career development, job security and company satisfaction (Kowske et al., 2010).
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58
Despite many of the differences noted in the Hays Recruitment study, a number of
commonalities between generations were also observed. Adding value to their employer's
organisation was considered a priority by both groups and although differences in how
generations generate loyalty with a company, both groups believe they are loyal to their
employer.
How Gen Y is perceived in the workplace.
"They've grown up questioning their parents, and now they're questioning their
employers. They don't know how to shut up, which is great, but that's aggravating
to the 50-year-old manager who says, 'Do it and do it now‟".
Jordan Kaplan, an associate managerial science professor at Long Island
University-Brooklyn in New York
There is a considerable amount of literature with regards to how Gen Y is perceived in the
workplace and strategies for retention in the workplace.
Previous research tends to suggest that Gen Y are not looked upon overly favourably by
employers. Amongst over 300 Australian business leaders and managers, 40% indicate that
Gen Y staff members are difficult to deal with (Casben, 2007; Preston, 2007). In addition,
employee performance has been questioned and employer dissatisfaction with communication
skills in particular. Gen Y are considered to not understand what constitutes appropriate
corporate behaviour and that they also lack the professional and technical skills required for
the job (Preston, 2007).
Despite Gen Y being perceived as a difficult commodity in the workplace, ideas on how to
retain Gen Y staff from executives matches the themes and ideas which Gen Y have
themselves about a workplace and working environment. The executives noted that share or
equity ownership, a young talent program, flexible working hours, merit based compensation,
opportunities for travel, paying for further education, opportunities for accelerated career
progression, work environment and rotation between departments are all seen as key to retain
Gen Y employees (Salt, 2007).
Sheehan (2005) noted that there are many organizations who are now aware of how the
impact of corporate image has on Gen Y‟s decision to choose them as a potential employer.
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For example, Price Waterhouse Coopers, St George Bank, Lion Nathan, and Sportsgirl are
strategically engaging with Gen Y. These companies are adapting and changing workplace
culture to be more attractive to Gen Y. Ford Australia for instance, considers that it‟s high
retention rate among Gen Y is as a result of a strong internal promotion culture, offering
outstanding career development and a work life balance program.
Organisations in Australia are now coming to terms with fostering and nurturing the talents and
expectations of Gen Y (Sheenan, 2005).
General Practice and Gen Y
General Practice needs to capture more of the pool of Australian medical graduates in order to
address a workforce shortage in at least the immediate and short-term future. It is therefore
crucial to employ effective strategies in seeking to engage with young doctors and specifically
to motivate them to choose general practice as their career.
At the same time, the nature of general practice itself is changing and „new‟ GPs are likely to
be working in a very different environment to others who have gone before. The pace of
future change is likely to accelerate even further. Interestingly, the GP workforce will comprise
a diversity not only in training experience but also in terms of expectations, when the „new‟
GPs work alongside established GPs.
GPs in the future will need to manage some key changes and a number of new scenarios
including, but not limited to the following: an increase in personally-targeted (tailored)
treatments that could be time-consuming to provide and monitor, sharing the general practice
patient treatment with nurse practitioners and other HCPs, the new opportunities provided by
e-Health, further technological advances that will impact on information exchange, a range of
government and privately-sponsored preventive health initiatives and potentially more
informed and demanding patients (as the Baby Boomers reach old age).
Currently, the Federal Government plans to increase general practice training places from 700
in 2010 to 1200 per year by 2014 to address the shortage in general practitioners. (Harrison &
Britt 2011).
This might not solve the workforce shortage (as we define it today) given the ageing
population and projected increased demand. Indeed, one estimate has put the number of
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GPs needed in 2020, in order to apply current general practice utilisation to the projected older
2020 population at between 6,101 and 7,481 (Harrison & Britt, 2011)
Some of the over-arching factors which are of urgent concern for the future provision of
primary care include:
-
Nearly 40% of currently practising GPs are 55 years or over
-
An ageing general population will mean increased utilisation of GPs:
o
Longer-term management of chronic conditions
o
Complexity of treatment for older patients with comorbidities as well as
emerging more complicated / time-consuming treatments
-
A growing proportion of female GPs (who, historically, have worked shorter hours)
noting that, among medical graduates, women outnumber men
-
Younger GPs, both male and female, wanting more flexibility (work / life balance)
and being disinclined to work the longer hours per week as previous GPs did at
their age (Schofield & Beard, 2005)
-
Other medical specialties becoming more attractive to graduates, including to
women
-
A world-wide shortage of doctors: reliance on overseas-trained doctors to help fill
the gap between primary care demand and workforce supply in Australia will likely
become problematic
Thus the „new GPs‟ will be in great demand and the commitment of the upcoming cohort (Gen
Y – born between 1982 and 1990 – Australian Bureau of Statistics) to general practice must
be maximised and further information as to what drives medical students and junior doctors to
make an informed career decision is crucial.
A recent survey of over 1,000 medical students across Australia indicated that General
Practice was the preferred speciality among more than half of the sample (54%). As a career
choice, almost 75% of the students were positive towards a career in General Practice
(General Practice Students Network, 2009). Other research, however, does suggest that the
timing of the decision of which speciality to follow is somewhat more inconclusive with only
one quarter of 700 recent medical graduates deciding to follow a career in General Practice by
the end of medical school (Harris, Gavel & Young, 2005).
Despite the evidence that there this is a majority proportion of students who are positive
towards a career in General Practice, there are a broad range of influences and drivers on the
current student population which impact career choices including; market forces, intellectual
challenge, prestige, work/life balance, remuneration, negative perceptions, family, flexibility
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and also where, when and how to access information which provides valuable assistance in
making a career decision (General Practice Students Network, 2009).
There are also clear indications, from a range of surveys published, that Gen Y future GPs
will have different expectations of a career in medicine and of general practice and in many
ways will be different to older, established GPs (not the least because they have grown up in a
rapidly-changing and technology-based world). Generational differences noted have been
attributed to the changes in medical schooling over the past two decades. Accessing and entry
into a medical program has changed considerably. Previous academic performance is no
longer considered the essential criteria with a broader assessment of attributes and potential
competencies for medical practice as important (Bunker & Shadbolt, 2009).
Lifestyle (including work/life balance, family and leisure) is one aspect of work and career
choice which is consistently mentioned by medical students who are surveyed or involved in
focus groups. (Harris, Gavel & Young, 2005; Tolhurst & Stewart, 2004; Markwell & Wainer,
2009). Results from 10 focus groups and 48 interviews of medical students in New South
Wales and a rural conference indicate that lifestyle and work life balance are particularly
important for medical students. Some students noted that they would consider a career
change to achieve work-family balance (Tolhurst & Stewart, 2004). A survey of more than 700
general practice trainees reported that among 13 extrinsic attributes which influence choice of
specialty, the opportunity to work flexible hours had the highest mean score (Harris, Gavel &
Young, 2005). It is of note that the main „coping‟ strategy among 900 junior doctors (50%) was
to spend time with friends and family (Markwell & Wainer, 2009).
The importance of mentors and leadership on career choice and meeting long term career
goals has been noted in a number of studies (Harris, Gavel & Young, 2005; Al-Nuami,
McGrouther & Bayat, 2008). A recent survey of more than 300 junior doctors (most at registrar
level), 80% indicated that in relation to meeting career goals, mentorship was the strongest
perceived influence (Hyde et el., 2010). Similarly, among 250 students and prevocational
doctors, approximately two thirds indicated that the best way to communicate medical career
information was through discussions with mentors (Piazza Research, 2009).
Recent studies have shown that location is a very important influence on career choice. Many
students and junior doctors are willing to spend a short time in rural or remote areas to work,
however, there is a reluctance to move to such a location for good (Rogers, Searle and Creed,
2010). Medical student‟s location of background, education and training experiences have
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62
been noted previously as predictors for location of work of postgraduate doctors (Laven &
Wilkinson, 2003). Reluctance to move for extended periods or as a career decision may be
due to lack of information regarding such things as financial reward and lifestyle.
A number of the above attitudes are also broken further down when considering differences
between females and males. Mirrored across numerous countries and noted above, female
graduates in Australia are much more likely to choose a career in primary care with female
respondents to surveys and focus groups singling out flexibility, with domestic circumstances a
highly influential predictor of career choice among female graduates (Shanley et al., 2002,
Lawrence, Poole & Diener, 2003). Despite the majority of females being enrolled as students
in 2008 (Medical Training Review Panel, 2009), the trend towards a career more controllable
lifestyle factors among males is also being noted in more recent studies (Sanfey et al., 2006).
It is also important to note that many of the attitudes, information seeking behaviour and
career aspirations and choices notes in the Australian studies are also reflected in a number of
studies from other countries such as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom
(Gelford et al., 2002; Newton, Grayson & Thompson, 2005; Ko et al., 2007; Al-Nuami,
McGrouther & Bayat, 2008; Boyd et al., 2009).
As a result of its evolution and rapidly changing nature, technology and access to different
forms of technology and information channels will directly impact how medical students
choose their careers. There are a number of websites available for students for career
planning (e.g. www.mymedicalcareer.com.au). A recent comprehensive study of medical
students and junior doctors identified numerous electronic channels through which medical
and career information is sourced. Although in the most part, personal contact with mentors or
peers was found to be the most popular method of accessing this information, college
websites (50%) and web based media (43%) were also chosen by a large proportion of the
sample. Both college websites and web based media were considered by about half of the
sample as being the best way to communicate medical career information (Piazza Research,
2009). Interestingly, a survey of over 200 students in the United States investigating attitudes
towards video games and related technology in medical education found that almost all
respondents (96%) felt that education should make better use of new media technologies and
a vast majority (80%) indicated that video games could educational value (Kron et al., 2010).
Despite the evidence that students and junior doctors are accessing these sites and electronic
forms of communication, it is yet to be understood how students are then navigating through
the abundance of information which is presented and how these channels are impacting their
career decision making.
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In addition to technology and recognised information channels for students, social media is
now often embraced as tool to increase awareness and promote activities among students.
Among 250 medical students and prevocational doctors a minimum 93% of the two groups
had accessed a social media platform (Piazza Research, 2009). The true potential, however,
of social media as a delivery mechanism for education or as an information resource for
career choices has not been fully assessed among Australian medical students. The
importance and usability of social media is recognised in that guidelines for its use in medical
profession and medical students have been written by two peak bodies (Australian Medical
Association Council of Doctors-in-Training and the New Zealand Medical Association Doctorsin-Training Council).
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64
Conclusions
This literature review provides greater understanding into what characterises Gen Y. The
media and public opinion is that Gen Y is misunderstood, lazy and difficult to manage. The
previous research noted in this literature review provides evidence that there is a relatively
clear understanding of who Gen Y is, what their attitudes and expectations are in regards to
lifestyle, the workplace, learning and technology. Common threads and trends are noted
throughout the literature in regards to these expectations and attitudes.
The very nature of Gen Y („multi-taskers‟, the need for instant response, group interaction,
constant connection to the internet and social media to name a few) dictates how they want to
be educated, how they want to work and how they want to be communicated to and within
themselves as a collective group.
It is clear that there are companies who are already harnessing these skills and attitudes to
provide Gen Y with a sense of belonging which coincides with a greater loyalty and less
likelihood for them to transition to other organisations or indeed other careers.
Gen Y has forged a new era of non-linear, non-one dimensional learning and a working
environment which is fun, interactive and where they can see clear career progression and
advancement. Organisations and career paths which can readily adapt and be inclusive of
Gen Y will exhibit strong rewards in the future.
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65
Search terms
Generation Y, Gen Y, Generation, Net Generation, Millenials
In a string search with a term above:
Generation differences, differences, attitude, attitudes, lifestyle, career, aspirations, career
attitudes, career aspirations, career expectations, ambition, ambitious,
communication,
media, social media, communication access, access, communication channel(s), career
communication, technology, technology career, technology and learning
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Appendix B: Online survey data
% of students current information seeking from sources and frequency
Medical/clinical information
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Seldom
Never
MIMS
25
26
17
17
15
33
30
16
12
9
RADAR
1
3
9
17
71
Australian Doctor
2
10
21
27
41
2
9
26
26
38
1
10
21
24
43
GPRA
1
3
12
32
52
RACGP
1
10
24
33
33
13
8
9
20
50
MJA
1
14
29
31
25
19
24
24
17
17
Pharmaceutical company rep
-
3
6
33
58
Pharmaceutical company website
-
2
5
25
68
1
10
26
29
34
Mentors
26
29
18
15
12
Medical Observer
2
8
14
30
47
College information
2
10
19
35
34
AMSA publications
1
6
18
37
39
Search engines
53
31
7
5
4
10
32
24
23
12
6minutes.com.au
2
2
3
11
82
13
38
27
16
6
8
9
9
13
60
eMedicine
18
34
21
13
15
Access medicine.com
8
19
15
16
42
57
17
8
8
10
Tutors/Lecturers
36
39
13
9
3
Medicine Today
1
4
7
19
70
Clinicalskills.com
1
2
5
14
79
Colleagues
54
25
10
4
8
Pharmacists
12
22
15
23
28
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Government websites
4
18
27
29
22
Current information seeking
Prescribing information
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Seldom
Never
MIMS
29
21
15
14
21
36
25
12
8
19
RADAR
1
3
6
14
76
Australian Doctor
1
5
8
17
69
2
6
14
22
56
1
10
12
19
58
GPRA
1
2
4
15
78
RACGP
1
3
7
18
71
10
7
7
15
62
MJA
1
5
9
21
64
20
22
17
13
28
Pharmaceutical company rep
0
3
5
20
71
Pharmaceutical company website
1
2
4
17
76
0
4
12
20
64
Mentors
18
23
14
12
34
Medical Observer
1
3
5
15
76
College information
0
4
7
18
71
AMSA publications
0
2
6
15
77
Search engines
17
19
13
14
37
2
9
12
20
58
6minutes.com.au
0
2
2
9
87
7
15
18
18
42
8
6
5
10
71
eMedicine
7
15
15
16
46
Access medicine.com
3
9
8
13
67
35
21
11
8
26
Tutors/Lecturers
20
33
12
12
23
Medicine Today
1
2
4
13
80
Clinicalskills.com
0
2
4
10
85
Colleagues
27
27
10
7
29
Pharmacists
12
23
16
16
34
Ipsos Healthcare
71
Government websites
5
8
10
22
55
Current career information seeking
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Quarterly
Less
frequently
Never
access
Not
aware
-
5
17
18
31
26
3
RACGP
0.3
9
16
22
29
18
6
GPRA
0.3
4
13
14
26
28
16
GP Australia
0.2
3
7
9
25
36
21
GPSN
0.3
7
22
19
27
20
5
0.7
3
12
21
26
25
12
-
0.5
3
5
10
39
43
Victoria
0.2
2
3
5
13
40
36
0.5
2
8
13
25
32
20
1
5
14
18
24
28
10
Mass media online
19
18
10
10
20
19
5
Online social media
31
13
7
8
18
19
3
12
17
13
9
23
21
5
Online conferences
0.2
2
4
5
14
51
24
Peer Blogs/forums
2
4
7
8
23
42
15
1
5
7
8
22
42
16
1
7
14
15
30
25
7
AMA
Doctor Q (Australian Medical
Association Queensland)
Postgraduate Medical Council of
Australian Medical Students’
Association publications/website
NON-MEDICAL MEDIA
ONLINE DISCUSSION
Health care professional
blogs/forums
OTHER
Government websites
Ipsos Healthcare
72
Base: Have not started n=609
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Quarterly
Less
frequently
Never
access
Not
aware
0.3
5
18
19
21
20
16
0
3
15
14
20
22
25
Australian Doctor
2
7
13
15
21
27
16
Medical Observer
1
5
8
11
20
36
20
MJA
1
8
19
18
25
23
7
0.2
5
17
15
22
27
13
2
13
15
13
28
20
8
0.8
5
15
22
26
20
11
Medical Forum
2
4
8
13
27
31
15
Career expos
0
0.7
2
19
48
29
9
16
37
25
12
7
3
2
2
5
8
15
28
30
12
mentors
3
17
26
23
18
10
3
21
20
18
16
13
9
4
2
14
19
22
26
15
3
GPET/AGPT
MEDICAL PRESS
MEDICAL CAREER SPECIFIC
SOURCES
academics
Base: Have not started n=609
Ipsos Healthcare
73
Current career information seeking – usefulness, comprehensiveness and
relevance
Satisfied for
comprehensiveness
(Top 2 box) %
Satisfied for
usefulness
(Top 2 box) %
Satisfied for
relevance
(Top 2 box) %
41
58
45
33
58
50
40
58
47
37
57
50
33
47
38
35
55
47
21
26
38
27
29
42
25
37
36
47
45
52
28
26
21
25
22
19
25
25
20
21
26
29
26
28
34
24
28
29
35
35
28
55
57
58
57
48
47
38
32
42
39
32
38
34
39
39
30
32
25
31
35
27
40
31
51
41
33
49
39
31
48
68
53
75
82
60
69
58
76
79
62
73
59
78
80
64
AMA
RACGP
GPRA
GP Australia
GPSN
Queensland)
Australian Medical Students‟ Association
publications/website
NON-MEDICAL MEDIA
Mass media online
Online social media
ONLINE DISCUSSION
Online conferences
Peer Blogs/forums
OTHER
Government websites
GPET/AGPT
MEDICAL PRESS
Australian Doctor
Medical Observer
MJA
Medical Forum
Career expos
Q8. Of the information sources you have accessed for medical career information, mark your level of satisfaction for
comprehensiveness, usefulness and relevance
Ipsos Healthcare
74
Appendix C: Online questionnaire
Next Generation- Dr wYse – The Next Generation
Students and Recent graduates ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE
April 2012
Introduction
An information sheet and consent form has been provided to you to give the
purpose of the study.
Instructions
Please take your time in completing this questionnaire thoroughly. For most questions,
you will only need to click in a tick box with your mouse. Other questions will require
you to type in a response or a value.
Please read each question and follow the instructions to record your answer.
Please DO NOT USE the 'Back' and 'Forward' buttons in the browser.
Please use the buttons at the bottom of each screen.
If you would like to pause the survey to return to it later, simply close the window and
then enter your original link to return.
Privacy Statement
You should be aware that your email contact details will be removed from your
responses to this survey once all prizes have been awarded and distributed. When
this has been done we will no longer be able to identify you with the responses you
provided. However, for the period that your email address details remain with your
survey responses, which will be approximately four months, you are able to contact us
to request that we delete all of your information. If you wish to do this or access the
Terms and Conditions for the prizes, please email ipsoshealth.surveys@ipsos.com OR
steven.riddell@ipsos.com
Ipsos Healthcare
75
Screener
Please answer the following questions so we can check whether you qualify for this
survey.
S1
Please read the following terms and then select “Agree” or “Disagree”
By your participation in the following survey, you hereby agree to keep all
information about this survey and its contents completely confidential, and
further agree to not disclose such information to any other party, not attempt to
copy or print or download any of this information.
Agree.............................................................. 1
Disagree ......................................................... 2 TERMINATE
S2
How old are you?
≤31 years....................................1
>31 years....................................2 TERMINATE
IF TERMINATED: “Thank you for your interest in the study, unfortunately you do not qualify to
continue”
Redirect respondents to www.gpra.org.au
Ipsos Healthcare
76
Main survey
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS AND TECHNOLOGY
Q1. For which purpose do you use these technologies?
Q1a. Personal
Internet
Hand held device (e.g.
PDA)
Smart or iPhone
IPad or tablet
iPod or other similar device
PC
iMac (desktop Mac)
Windows laptop
MacBook
Q2
1

1

2
3
4


5

6

7

8

9

2
Q1c. Career
information
Q1b. Medical
Education

1


2

3


5

6

7

8

9

3
4
4


5

6

7

8

9

On average, how much time per day do you spend online?
1
 Less than 15 minutes
2
 15 to 30 minutes
3
 31 minutes to 1 hour
4
 1 to 2 hours
5
 2 to 4 hours
6
 More than 4 hours
Q3. In the last month, which of the following, if any, online social media sites did you
access? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)
PLEASE ROTATE STATEMENTS
Facebook
Twitter
MySpace
YouTube
Google +
LinkedIn
Blogs
Ipsos Healthcare
1


3

4

5

6

7

2
77
8


10 
Flickr
Other
Do not access social media regularly
9
Q4. On average, what proportion of your daily „online time‟ do you spend using
social media
%
Q5. Through which technology platform do you access social media most regularly?
(MARK ONLY ONE)
Windows Laptop
PC
iMac (desktop Mac)
MacBook
Hand held device (e.g. PDA)
Other Smartphone
iPhone
IPad
Android
Tablet
1


3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

2
CAREER INFORMATION
Q6.
To what extent did you actively seek information about your medical career
options throughout your medical career? (ONLY ANSWER UP TO YOUR
CURRENT YEAR OF STUDY)
Very
active
Have not started
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Year 1 – as a junior doctor
Not
active
1


1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1
2
3
4
5
2
3
4
5


2

2

2

2

2

2



3

3

3

3

3

3

Ipsos Healthcare


4

4

4

4

4

4



5

5

5

5

5

5

78
Q7
Thinking specifically about sources of medical career information, how often do
you access each source?
Every
day
TRAINING
ORGANISATIONS
Training provider
publications
GPET/AGPT
Once per
week
Once
per
month
Once
per
quarter
Less
frequently
Never
access
Not aware
4

5

6

7


4

5

6

7


3

3

3

3

4

4

4

4

4

5

5

5

5

5

6

6

6

6

6

7

2

2

2

3

3

3

3

4

4

4

4

5

5

5

5

6

6

6

6

7
2
3
4

5

6

7

4

5

6

7

4

5

6

7

1

2

3

1

2

3

1

1

1

1

2

2

2

2

2

3
1

1

1

1

2
1
MEDICAL PRESS
Australian Doctor
Medical Observer
MJA
COLLEGES AND
ASSOCIATIONS
AMA
RACGP
GPRA
GP Australia
GPSN
College information
handbooks
Postgraduate Medical
Council of Victoria
Australian Medical Students‟
Association
publications/website
NON-MEDICAL MEDIA
Mass media online
Online social media
1





7

7

7

7


7

7

7
1

2

3

1

2

3

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7


4

5

6

7


4

5

6

7

1
1
MEDICAL CAREER
SPECIFIC SOURCES
Medical Forum
1
Career expos

2

2

1

2
1


3

3

2

3

3

4


5
6


7
5


6
4
7


2
3
4

5

6

7



FACE-2-FACE
DISCUSSION
Ipsos Healthcare
79
Peer
conversations/discussions
Conversations/discussion
with mentors
Conversations/discussion
with academics
ONLINE DISCUSSION
Online conferences
Peer Blogs/forums
1

2

3

1

2

3

Health care professional
blogs/forums
OTHER
Government websites
Other handouts/brochures
Other - Specify
Q8a
1
1
1

2

2

2

1

2
1

3


3

4

5

6

7

4


5


6


7




5


6


7

4

5

5

6

6

7
7


4

5

6

7



4



5



6

4
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7

3

2

3

2

3
1


1

2


2

3
4
5
6
7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1

4

3




3





7

Of the information sources you have accessed for medical career information,
mark your level of satisfaction for comprehensiveness
Extememly
satisfied
GPET/AGPT
1
Not at all
satisfied


2


3


4
1
1


1

1

1

2
2


2

2

2

3
3


3

3

3

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

2

2

2

2

2

3
1

2

3

1

2

3

1

2

3
1

2

3
1
2
3


5
4


4

4

4

5
4
5
4

4

4

4

4

4

4

5
4

5


4

5


4

5

4
5


MEDICAL PRESS
Australian Doctor
Medical Observer
MJA
AMA
RACGP
GPRA
GP Australia
GPSN
Victoria
NON-MEDICAL MEDIA

3

3

3

3

3

Ipsos Healthcare


5

5

5



5

5

5

5

5

5
80
Mass media online
1

2

3

4

5

Online social media
1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

SOURCES
Medical Forum
1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

5
5


Career expos
1

2

3

4

5

1


2
4
5
1

2

3



4

5
3


4
2


3
1

2

3

4
5

2

3

4


1

2

2

3

3

4


5
4
5


1

2

3

4

5

1


1

2


2

3
3


4

5
2


3

4
1
4
5
mentors
academics
ONLINE DISCUSSION
Online conferences
Peer Blogs/forums
OTHER
Government websites
Other - Specify
Q8b
1
1
1



5

5




5

mark your level of satisfaction for usefulness
Extememly
satisfied
GPET/AGPT
1
Not at all
satisfied

1

2

2

3

3

4


5
1

1

1

1

1

2

2

2

2

2

3

3

3

3

3

4

4

4

4

4

5
1
2
3
4
5
4
5


MEDICAL PRESS
Australian Doctor
Medical Observer
MJA
AMA
RACGP

1


2


3

Ipsos Healthcare
4




5

5

5

5
5


81
GPRA
GP Australia
GPSN
Victoria
NON-MEDICAL MEDIA
Mass media online

4

4

4

4

5
4

5


4

5

3

4

5

3

4

5


5


5


1

1

1

2

2

2

2

3
1

2

3

1

2

3

1

2

3
1

2

1

2


3

3

3

4


5

5

5

5
Online social media
1

2

3

4
1

2

3

4
SOURCES
Medical Forum
1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

5
5


Career expos
1

2

3

4

5

1


2
4
5
1

2

3



4

5
3


4
2


3
1
1

2

3

4


5
mentors
academics
ONLINE DISCUSSION
Online conferences
Peer Blogs/forums
OTHER
Government websites
Other - Specify
Q8c
1
1

2

1

2
1
4


5

5



3

2

3

3

4

4

5
5



2

3

4

5

1


1

2


2

3
3


4

5
2


3

4
1
4
5
1



5

mark your level of satisfaction for relevance to you
Extememly
satisfied
GPET/AGPT
1

1

Not at all
satisfied
2

2

3

3

Ipsos Healthcare
4
4


5
5


82
MEDICAL PRESS

1

1

1

1

2

2

2

2

2

3

3

3

3

3

4

4

4

4

4

5
1

1

1

1

1

1

2

2

2

2

2

2

3
4
5
1

2

3



4

4

4

4

4

5
4
1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

Online social media
1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

SOURCES
Medical Forum
1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

5
5


Career expos
1

2

3

4

5

1


2
4
5
1

2

3



4

5
3


4
2


3
1
1

2

3

4


5
Australian Doctor
Medical Observer
MJA
AMA
RACGP
GPRA
GP Australia
GPSN
Victoria
NON-MEDICAL MEDIA
Mass media online
mentors
academics
ONLINE DISCUSSION
Online conferences
Peer Blogs/forums
OTHER
Government websites
Other - Specify
1
1

2

1

2
1

3

3

3

3

3

4


5

5

5

5


5

5

5

5

5



5

5



3

2

3

3

4

4

5
5



2

3

4

5

1


1

2


2

3
3


4

5
2


3

4
1
4
5
1

Ipsos Healthcare


5

83
Q9a. What additional information do you need to help you make decisions about your
medical career?
Q9b. Where should you be able to obtain this information?
Q10. What is your preferred delivery method to bring career information to your
attention? (MARK ONLY ONE RESPONSE)
Email .............................................................. 1
SMS Alert ....................................................... 2
Mail................................................................. 3
App alerts .......................................................4
Face-to-face....................................................5
Social Media websites
6
Conference.....................................................7
Android ........................................................... 8
iPhone ............................................................ 9
iPad ................................................................ 10
Other Smartphone .......................................... 11
Other, please specify...................................... 12
______________________________________________
Q11. To what extent would a simulator which maps medical career pathways given a
number of possible inputs be useful to you?
Not
useful at
all
Very useful
1

2

3

4

5

Ipsos Healthcare
84
Q12. Hypothetically, if you were working as a General Practitioner 5 years from now,
rank the top five (1 being the highest option) mechanisms for delivery of continuing
professional development and education? (ONE RESPONSE PER RANK ONLY)
PLEASE ROTATE STATEMENTS
1


3

4

5

6

Blogs
Pharmaceutical Reps – Interactive and Online
Online conferences
Face-2-Face small group meetings
Applications for iPad or iPhone (or similar)
Online learning
Face-2-Face conferences
Informal discussion among peers
Webinars
Other, please specify
2
7


9
10 
8
____________________________
MEDICAL (Clinical) INFORMATION SEEKING
Q13a. Of the following resources, how often do you currently access them for medical
(clinical) information?
,
PLEASE ROTATE
STATEMENTS
Daily
A
MIMS
B
C
RADAR
D
Australian Doctor
E
Weekl
Monthly
Seldom
Never
y
1
2
3
4
5

























1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
Ipsos Healthcare
5
5
5
5
85
F
NPS: Better choices,
Better health
G GPRA
H
I
J
RACGP
MJA
K
Australian Medicines
Handbook
L Pharmaceutical
company rep
M Pharmaceutical
company website
N Australian Family
Physician
O Mentors
P
Medical Observer
Q
College information
R
AMSA publications
S
Search engines
T
U
6minutes.com.au
X
Medical databases (e.g.
Medline, Cochrane)
Y Clinical Information
Access Portal (CIAP)
A eMedicine
a
B
b
C
c
Access medicine.com
D
d
Tutors/Lecturers
E
e
Medicine Today
F
f
Clinicalskills.com
g
g
Colleagues
1
2
3
4
5





1
2
3
4
5
















1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
5
5
5

2



1





1
2
3
4
5





1
2
3
4
5





1
2
3
4
5





1
2
3
4
5































1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

2



1





1
2
3
4
5





1
2
3
4
5


























1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
5

2



1





3
4
Ipsos Healthcare
5
86
h
h
Pharmacists
i
i
Government websites
j
j
Other - Specify
1
2
3
4
5


2



1





1
2
3
4
5





3
4
5
_______________________________________________________
Q13b. Of the following resources, how often do you currently access them for
pharmaceutical (prescribing) information?
PLEASE ROTATE
STATEMENTS
Daily
A
MIMS
B
C
RADAR
D
Australian Doctor
E
F
NPS: Better choices,
Better health
G GPRA
H
RACGP
I
J
MJA
K
Australian Medicines
Handbook
L Pharmaceutical
company rep
M Pharmaceutical
company website
N Australian Family
Physician
O Mentors
P
Medical Observer
Weekl
Monthly
Seldom
Never
y
1
2
3
4
5





















1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5

2



1





1
2
3
4
5
















1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5

2



1





1
2
3
4
5





1
2
3
4
5





1
2
3
4
5





1
2
3
4
5










1
2
3
3
4
4
Ipsos Healthcare
5
5
87
Q
College information
R
AMSA publications
S
Search engines
T
U
6minutes.com.au
X
Medical databases (e.g.
Medline, Cochrane)
Y Clinical Information
Access Portal (CIAP)
A eMedicine
a
B
b
Access medicine.com
C
c
D
d
Tutors/Lecturers
E
e
Medicine Today
F
f
Clinicalskills.com
g
g
Colleagues
h
h
Pharmacists
i
i
Government websites
j
j
Other - Specify
1
2
3
4
5





















1
2
1
3
2
1
3
2
1
3
2
3
4
5
4
5
4
5
4
5

2



1





1
2
3
4
5





1
2
3
4
5


























1
3
2
1
3
2
1
3
2
1
3
2
1
3
2
3
4
5
4
5
4
5
4
5
4
5
4
5

2



1





1
2
3
4
5

3
4
5

2



1





1
2
3
4
5





3
4
5
_______________________________________________________
Q14. Hypothetically, as a general practitioner 5 years from now, to what extent would
each of the following be useful sources for medicines/clinical information?
(MARK ONE RESPONSE PER ROW)
PLEASE ROTATE
STATEMENTS
Companies that make
medicines
Very useful
1

Not useful at
all
2

3

Ipsos Healthcare
4

5

88
1
Colleges
Other professional
organisations
Medical publications and
journals
Government bodies
Specialists in relevant fields
Specialist medicines
information providers
Peers/colleagues
Internet search engines
2

3

4



5
4
5


4

5


4

4

5
1

2

3

1

2

3


1

2

2

3
1

2

3
1


1

2


2

3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
4

3




3



4



5

5


5

_______________________________________________________
Q15. Which delivery mechanisms would you would access for medical information in
five years? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)
PLEASE ROTATE BLOCKS OF STATEMENTS
1


3

4

5

6

7

8

Email
SMS alerts
Mail
App alerts
Face-2-face
Social media websites
Conferences
2
_______________________________________________________
Q16. In five years from now, to what extent would you be interested in having
everything for your medical career in one location (continuing education, medical
information, professional development)
Not at all
interested
Very
interested
1

2

3

4

Ipsos Healthcare
5

89
Q17. Thinking about a career in general practice, how important to you are the
following factors
Not at all
important
Very
important
Personal experiences
with general
practice/practitioners
Work related
experiences with
general practice
Exposure to general
practice via
placements or
rotations (PGPPP,
etc)
Influence of academic
or clinical role models
1
1
1
Length of training
Lifestyle
Balancing life and
work
Balancing study and
work
Flexibility
Remuneration
Lack of prestige
compared to other
specialities
Variety and scope of
practice
Long-term continuity
of care and patient
relationships
Opportunity to work in
rural and regional
areas
Other (please specify)

2

2

2
1
1

3

3

3

2

3



2
2


3
1
3


1

2

3

1

2

3


1

2

2

3
1

2

3

1

2

3


2

3
1

2

3

1

2

3

1

5

4

5

4

5

4

5

4


4

5
4
5
4

5

4

4

5
4

5

4

5

4

5

4

5



1
4



5

4

3





5

5
Q18a On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is will not go into general practice (including
those already in Speciality training) and 10 is will definitely go into general practice, to
what extent have you decided that you will pursue a career in general practice?
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10
Ipsos Healthcare

90
Q18b. In which year of study did you decide that you will definitely go into General Practice?
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
1

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3

4

5

6

5

7

2
THE FUTURE - 2020
Q19
Hypothetically in 2020, which of the following health care professionals do you
think you will be working with as a GP, in your practice? (Mark all that apply)
PLEASE ROTATE BLOCKS OF STATEMENTS
Physiotherapist
Radiographer
Chiropractor
Pathologist
Pharmacist
Psychologist
Ophthalmologist
Acupuncturist
Nutritionist
Nurse (Disease specific)
Nurse Practitioner
Practice Nurse
1


3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

2
_______________________________________________________
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Q20a. To what extent do you think that the implementation of Personally Controlled
Electronic Health Records (PCEHR) will improve outcomes for:
Very
negative
impact
a. The GP
b. The patient
c. The overall
community
Very
positive
impact
1
Not aware
of PCEHR

1

2

2

3
1
2
3

4

3


5

4

4


6

5

5



6

6
Q20b. To what extent do you think that the implementation of Telehealth (24 hour GP
access over the telephone) will improve outcomes for:
a. The GP
b. The patient
c. The overall
community
Very
negative
impact
Very
positive
impact
1

1

2

2

3
1
2
3

4

3


5

4

4




5

5
ATTITUDES
Q21. Using a 0 to 10 scale, where 1 is “strongly disagree” and 10 is “strongly agree”,
can you tell me the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following
statements? Please use the full range from 1 to 10 Please select one answer
for each row
PLEASE RANDOMISE
STATEMENTS
A The GP clinic of 2020 will be entirely
electronic (patient records, prescribing,
referral etc).
B Having allied health professionals on
the same site as the GP will be a
benefit for the GP
C I am comfortable interacting with
pharmaceutical companies
D I have found valuable information
relating to my medical career on social
media sites
Strongly
agree
Strongly
disagree
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8








1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8








1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8








1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8








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9
10
 
9
10
 
9
10
 
9
10
 
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E The role of social media will be
beneficial to how I will practice
medicine
F I am confident interacting with the
empowered patient, „informed‟ by webbased input
g I am comfortable using an app to
access medical (clinical) information
h A major incentive to work in general
practice are the working hours
i
j
k
Accessing relevant clinical information
electronically is more time efficient than
any other format
There is enough career information
available to make good career
decisions
I am open to receiving medical
information via social media platforms
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8








1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8








1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8








 








 
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8








1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8








1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8








1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
 
9
10
 
9
9
9
10
10
10
 
9
10
 
9
10
 
DEMOGRAPHICS
Q22
I am:
Male ............................................................... 1
Female....... .................................................... 2
Q23
Q24
In what year were you born? (RANGE 1981 – 1995)
At which University do you currently study or did you recently complete your
medical degree?
Australian National University ............................................... 1
Bond University....... .............................................................. 2
Deakin University .................................................................. 3
Flinders University....... .......................................................... 4
Griffith University ................................................................... 5
James Cook University.......................................................... 6
Monash University ................................................................. 7
Macquarie University....... ...................................................... 8
University of Notre Dame - Fremantle ................................... 9
University of Notre Dame - Sydney....... ................................ 10
University of Adelaide............................................................ 11
University of Melbourne......................................................... 12
University of Newcastle ......................................................... 13
University of New England....... ............................................. 14
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University of New South Wales ............................................. 15
University of Queensland....... ............................................... 16
University of Sydney ............................................................. 17
University of Tasmania....... ................................................... 18
University of Western Australia ............................................. 19
University of Western Sydney....... ........................................ 20
University of Wollongong....................................................... 21
Other....... .............................................................................. 22
Q25
Is / Was your degree postgraduate or undergraduate?
Postgraduate .................................................. 1
Undergraduate .............................................. 2
Q26.
Which of the following best describes you?
Are you a:
Medical Student ............................................. 1
Recent Medical Graduate............................... 2
Q27a. Are you already a pre-vocational Doctor?
Yes
No
Don‟t know
1


3

2
Q27b. Have you undertaken a PGPPP (Prevocational General Practice Placements
program) rotation?
Yes
No
Don‟t know
Q28a
1


3

2
I entered my medical degree?
As an undergraduate ...................................... 1
As a postgraduate ......................................... 2
Q28b Which best describes how you entered into medical school training?
Straight from high school to medical school..........................1
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From high school to university, completed an undergraduate degree and then to
medical school.......................................................................2
From high school directly out into full time employment and have then come
back to medical school................................................................................3
Q29
Mark below which best describes you?
Overseas born / Australian medical school training .................................
Overseas born / Overseas medical school training ..................................
Australian born / Australian medical school training .................................
Australian born /Overseas medical school training ..................................
Q30
1
2
3
4
Have you ever lived for more than 6 months in a regional, rural or remote
location?
Yes ................................................................. 1
No ................................................................. 2
Q31a
Are you based or have started rotations in a hospital?
Yes ................................................................. 1
Yes, but am also working in a community setting
2
No ................................................................. 3
Q31b Are you based in a metropolitan or non-metropolitan hospital?
Metropolitan ................................................... 1
Non-metropolitan ............................................ 2
Q32
What is your current postcode?
Ipsos Healthcare
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CLOSE
Q33
Thank you for taking the time to participate in this survey. So we can contact
you if you are a winner of a prize (your choice of iMIMS or MIMS Phone, a
$150 iTunes voucher or a $150 Coles/Myer voucher) please type in your email
address below. If you do not provide your email address we will not be able to
contact you if you have won a prize. If you do win a prize your name (initial and
surname) and state will be published in the Australian on 21 September 2012
and on the GPRA website.
Please provide your email address ________________________________________
Please re-type your email address _________________________________________
This concludes our survey. Thank you for your participation. We appreciate your
taking the time to complete it.
This research was conducted on behalf of the General Practice Registrars Australia
(GPRA), The Royal College of General Practitioners (RACGP), General Practice
Education and Training (GPET), North Coast GP Training, Northern Territory General
Practice Education and Western Australian General Practice Education and Training
(WAGPET), Pfizer Australia and MIMS.
Redirect respondents to www.gpra.org.au
Ipsos Healthcare
96

Dr wYse: The Next Generation

Transcription

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