Abstract:

Objective To identify the key problems in the training of general practitioners in Shanghai, and to offer practical advice on the establishment of a standardized training system and the making of relevant policies. Methods Questionnaire survey was conducted in 1 300 general practitioners from 3 districts of Shanghai and 400 medical students from 2 universities in Shanghai on the conditions of training of general practitioners, which concerns with the demographic information, career goal, understanding of family doctor system and satisfaction level in practice. Results An analysis of the basic information revealed a shortage of of academic degree and professional title in general practitioners of Shanghai, as measured by international standards and China's national requirements. The evaluation from medical students on the profession of general practition was relatively lower, with the majority (78.6%) aiming to become specialists. Only 4.6% of medical students would take general practition as preferred career. There was a low satisfaction level in both social environment and personal development among general practitioners in practice, and 15.2% of them were dissatisfied with comprehensive situation. Conclusion There are some critical problems in the training of general practitioners in Shanghai. More image building effort, more standardized training system and more systemized curricula may help to ensure a sustainable development of training of general practitioners.

Key words: general practitioner, standardized training, sustainable development, proposal for policy making