General practice as a career: insights for workforce policy.

Australia's general practitioners are working fewer hours, and many are leaving medical practice. Little is known about when and why experienced mid- and late-career GPs move away from clinical practice. Although career downsizing is often seen as an abrogation of vocation, it may reflect a desire to broaden work experiences within a constrained set of options. Policy should focus on supporting and enhancing the development of GPs' careers. This approach should acknowledge that career trajectories for GPs are often relatively flat from mid career onwards, and that a GP's working life extends beyond clinical work in one general practice.