Rodríguez-Gordaliza F, Fernández-Díaz C, Cimas J E, Valdés C, de Alaiz A T
Centro de Salud de Pravia, Asturias.
Aten Primaria. 1996 May 31;17(9):570-3.
To find out the employment situation and the career level of family doctors (FD) trained through residency in Asturias.
A descriptive crossover study carried out with a self-filled questionnaire returned by mail.
All of Spain.
FDs trained through residency in Asturias up to 1993.
178 (89%) of the 200 FDs located replied. 8 who had not finished their course were excluded. Between 1979 and 1983 42 people began their training (24.7%); 42(24.7%) between 1984 and 1987; and 86 (50.5%) between 1988 and 1991. 96 worked in health centres (56.4%); 30 in hospital casualty (17.6%); 9 in administration and management (5.2%); 16 were unemployed (9.4%) and 8 in other posts (4.7%). 49 FD had a permanent post (28.8%); 32 of these had started their training before 1984. 63 (37.5%) chose family and community medicine (FCM) as a vocation. Of these, 26 began their training between 1979 and 1983, 17 between 1984 and 1987 and 20 after 1988. A significant relationship was found between starting training in 1984 or before and choosing FCM as a vocation; and also between starting FCM training in 1984 or before and having a stable job.
The more recent FCM students had less vocational motivation for their choice of FCM and greater difficulty in obtaining a stable job, which may lead to progressive disenchantment with FCM.
