Volume 196 - Issue 3
Australian general practitioner doctorates and doctoral candidates, 2005–2009
Author: Gerard F Gill
Med J Aust 2012; 196 (3): 173. || doi: 10.5694/mja11.11102
Published online: 20 February 2012
Published online: 20 February 2012
To the Editor: The decline in the number of National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) scholarships awarded to general practitioners over the past 9 years reflects continuing problems in Australia’s capacity to produce a good base of general practice researchers. Since 1998, 20 GPs have received NHMRC doctoral scholarships; nine of these were granted in 2002 and six were granted after 2002....
To the Editor: The decline in the number of National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) scholarships awarded to general practitioners over the past 9 years reflects continuing problems in Australia’s capacity to produce a good base of general practice researchers. Since 1998, 20 GPs have received NHMRC doctoral scholarships; nine of these were granted in 2002 and six were granted after 2002.
Over the financial year 2010–11, I used key informants, university theses repositories and internet searching, to identify 41 GPs (22 men, 19 women) who were awarded Australian university doctorates on a medical subject between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2009. Most were PhDs, seven were doctor of medicine (MD) degrees and one was a doctor of public health degree. Seven universities belonging to the “Group of eight”, a coalition of leading Australian universities describing itself as “intensive in research”, awarded 60% of doctorates (Box).
Successful candidates were usually experienced GPs (median time since first medical degree, 20 years) and were more likely to hold a fellowship from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP, 75%), the diploma in obstetrics (30%), a previous masters degree (50%) or have had paid university employment (50%) than other GPs.1,2
Sixteen candidates held post-graduate scholarships: NHMRC (14), the National Institute of Clinical Studies (1), and a state government scheme (1). Four of the 20 GPs who received NHMRC scholarships since 1998 have yet to submit theses.
All 41 GPs awarded doctorates by Australian universities had published journal articles recorded by MEDLINE (median, 13 articles; range, 1–73 articles). They first published a median of 10 years before submitting their theses. Half of the candidates’ publication output was published by three Australian medical journals: Australian Family Physician (32%), the Medical Journal of Australia (17%) and the Australian Journal of Rural Health (3%).
Although Australia performs well by international standards (three New Zealand GPs obtained a doctorate over the study period and Scottish GPs took 30 years to achieve the same number of doctorates3), NHMRC scholarship awards suggest that other kinds of Australian medical doctors vastly outperform GPs in attaining doctorates (204 physicians and physician trainees received an NHMRC PhD scholarship in the 5-year period).
These findings are a concern for general practice. The number of high-calibre researchers with doctorates is low, and research skills are developed late in GPs’ professional careers.
The barriers hindering GPs from undertaking higher research degrees identified in 20054 remain unaddressed. More young doctors would consider entering general practice if better opportunities for research existed.5
An urgent rethink of general practice researcher development in Australian universities, health departments and medical research bodies is required.
Competing interests
No relevant disclosures.
References
- Pearce C, Liaw ST, Chondros P, et al. Australian doctors and their postgraduate qualifications. Aust Fam Physician 2003; 32: 92-94. 0_CHDEBEFH
- Britt H, Miller G, Charles J, et al. General practice activity in Australia 2006–07. General Practice Series No. 21. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2008. (AIHW Cat. No. GEP 21) http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=6442468067 (accessed Jan 2012).
- Watt G. The long march: the development of academic general practice in the UK and Ireland. Eur J Gen Pract 2004; 10: 98-102. 0_i1142993
- Trevena L, County M. Impediments to higher degree training for Australian clinical researchers in general practice. Educ Health (Abingdon) 2005; 18: 157-165. 0_i1142995
- Sivey P, Scott A, Witt J, et al. Why junior doctors don’t want to become general practitioners: a discrete choice experiment from the MABEL longitudinal study of doctors. Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series. Working Paper No.17/10. Melbourne: University of Melbourne, 2010. 0_i1142997