Doctors' professional values: results from a cohort study of United Kingdom medical graduates

Objectives To examine young doctors' views on a number of professional issu es including professional regulation, multidisciplinary teamwork, priority setting, clinical autonomy and private practice. Methods Postal survey of 545 doctors who graduated from United Kingdom medi cal schools in 1995. Results Questionnaires were returned by 95% of the cohort (515/545). On iss ues of professional regulation, teamwork and clinical autonomy, the majorit y of doctors held views consistent with current General Medical Council gui dance. The majority supported the right of doctors working in the NHS to en gage in private practice. Most respondents thought that public expectations of doctors, medicine and the NHS were too high, and that some form of rati oning was inevitable. On many issues there was considerable variation in at titudes on the basis of sex and intended branch of medicine. Conclusions The results highlight the heterogeneity of the profession and t he influence of specialty and gender on professional values. Doctors' attit udes had also been shaped by broader social changes, especially debates sur rounding regulation of the profession, rising public expectations and the n eed for rationing of NHS care.