BRIT DOCS WANT TO QUIT

British

Medical Journal

If you're fed up with the tribulationsof medical practice, like dealingwith managed care plans, youmay be interested to find that manyof your physician-colleagues in theUnited Kingdom feel the same way.According to a report in the , 22% of the generalpractitioners in Britain intend tocall it quits within 5 years, up from14% in 1998.The researchers notedthat the rise in the number of doctorswho plan to leave their medicalpractice is due mainly to a loss ofjob satisfaction. A similar survey bythe British Medical Associationfound that about 25% of familyphysicians planned to leave practicein 5 years, with two thirds reportingthat their morale had suffered in theprevious 5 years. A recent survey bythe Center for Health Services Researchin Primary Care found thatabout 20% of US doctors were "dissatisfied"with their medical careers.