Medical students at University of Michigan, Brown University and Michigan State University were surveyed from 2006 and 2008. Results from those surveys showed students believed both primary care and specialty physicians had too much administrative work and were concerned by the pace of their jobs. Students were also unsure whether physicians had control over their work schedules, were able to develop good patient relationships or whether they were overwhelmed by patient needs.
Notably, surveyed students also viewed primary care physicians as being under-compensated and having less control over work hours than specialists. In addition, students who chose primary care expressed the same negative sentiments about primary care work life as peers pursuing specialty work. Researchers concluded that improvements in the work life for primary care physicians may be necessary to attract more students to the primary care workforce.
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