gms | German Medical Science

Background: There is a decline in relative numbers of general practitioners in Germany. An analysis of conflicts in general practitioners self-perception of their professional role and social self-image has potential for identifying barriers in the recruitment of new general practitioners.

Objective: To analyse potential discrepancies between general practitioners self-perception of their professional role and their social self-image, framed as being how general practitioners perceive specialists see them.

Methods: A qualitative study was undertaken by interviewing 16 general practitioners in their general practice or in the Department of General Practice and Health Service Research, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Germany.

Results: The interviews showed a discrepancy between general practitioners’ own professional self-perception and how they perceive they are viewed by specialists. General practitioners communicate a positive self-perception of their professional role. While general practitioners’ social self-image is perceived as being positive by specialists in outpatient care, it is negative for specialists working in hospitals. Additionally, general practitioners suppose that specialists, who work at the university or in hospitals, tend to transfer a negative opinion about general practitioners.

Discussion: General practitioners’ self-perception of their professional role doesn’t correspond to their social self-image in Germany. Hospital specialist’s perceived negative opinion about general practitioners could influence students’ and medical trainees’ opinion about joining the general practice profession, which could act as a barrier in recruiting new general practitioners. The outcome “badmouthing” in hospitals and universities demonstrates the importance of the consideration of psychological aspects in medical teachers act as role model. We will discuss if these aspects should be more integrated in future medical education research.