PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Sally Briggs
AU  - Recia Atkins
AU  - Jeremy Playfer
AU  - Oliver J Corrado
TI  - Why do doctors choose a career in geriatric medicine?
AID  - 10.7861/clinmedicine.6-5-469
DP  - 2006 Sep 01
TA  - Clinical Medicine
PG  - 469--472
VI  - 6
IP  - 5
4099  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/6/5/469.short
4100  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/6/5/469.full
SO  - Clin Med2006 Sep 01; 6
AB  - Reforms to postgraduate training in the UK may affect recruitment to geriatric medicine. In 2005, a questionnaire survey was undertaken to determine the factors favouring geriatric medicine as a career choice and whether these might be used to influence recruitment. In all, 1,036 responses to the questionnaire were received (response rate 56.4%); 4% of the respondents decided to specialise in geriatric medicine as students, 3.8% of consultants and 8.6% of registrars decided as pre-registration house officers while 39% of consultants and 7% of registrars chose geriatric medicine while a middle grade in another specialty. The strongest influences on choice were clinical aspects of the specialty (34.1%) and inspirational seniors (26.2%). However, 9.2% of consultants and 10.1% of registrars subsequently regretted their career decision. Geriatric medicine seems to be a career choice for doctors of increasing maturity and including more posts in foundation programmes may not improve recruitment as anticipated. Although a small number of doctors regretted choosing geriatric medicine as a career, this was rarely to do with core aspects of the specialty.