Workforce trends in general practice in the UK: results from a longitudinal study of doctors' careers.

The career paths of 544 UK medical school graduates were followed for 10 years. Although general practice was not attractive to graduates initially, it became popular in subsequent years, mainly because it was seen as offering a superior quality of life. Once in general practice both men and women chose to work reduced hours and/or in non-principal posts. The findings suggest the need to look more closely at the nature of these trends and the implications for patient care and service provision.