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Background. Emotional exhaustion is central in burnout syndrome and signals its development. General practitioners’ (GP) work is emotionally challenging but research on these aspects is lacking. Objective. To study the prevalence of emotional exhaustion among GPs and to evaluate how their characteristics and work experiences are associated with emotional exhaustion. Design and methods. A questionnaire survey was carried out among GPs in Finland in 2011 in which questions were posed regarding their experience of emotional exhaustion and items related to their work experiences and professional identity. A statement “I feel burnt out from my job” (never, seldom, sometimes, quite often, or often) enquired about emotional exhaustion. Those responding quite often or often were categorized as emotionally exhausted. Results. Among the GPs, 68% responded (165/244). Of the respondents, 18% were emotionally exhausted. Emotional exhaustion was associated with older age, longer working history, experiences of having too much work, fear and reports of having committed a medical error, low tolerance of uncertainty in their work, and feeling alone at work. No differences in positive work experiences were found. In logistic regression analysis working experience > 5 years (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.6–10.8; p = 0.0036) and feeling alone at work (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.2–7.1; p = 0.020) predicted emotional exhaustion, having committed a medical error in the past three months predicted it marginally significantly (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.0–5.9, p = 0.057), whereas tolerating uncertainty well protected against it (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.09–0.7; p = 0.0098). Conclusions. Emotional exhaustion among GPs was common and associated with longer working history, having committed a medical error, and feelings of isolation at work. GPs should receive more support throughout their careers.

Objective. To explore medical students ' potential interest in family medicine in the future and their perceptions of a GP ' s work. Design . A cross-sectional survey in 2008 -2010. Setting and subjects. Fifth-year medical students prior to their main course in General Practice at the University of Helsinki. Main outcome measures. The students ' opinions regarding the GP ' s work and their perceptions of the main aims of a GP ' s work. Results. 309/359 medical students (mean age 25.7 years, 64% females) responded to the survey. Among the students, 76% considered the most attractive feature in the GP ' s work to be that it is versatile and challenging. The least attractive features included: too hasty, pressing work, too lonely work, and too many non-medical problems. The majority of the students considered the main aim of a GP ' s work as to identify serious diseases/disorders in order to refer those patients for specialized care (82%). Treatment of chronic diseases is an important responsibility of a GP ' s work according to 63% of the students. Only 38% considered health promotion to be an important aim. Conclusions. Medical students may have perceptions of the GP ' s work that infl uence their career choices to specialize in other fi elds.