Profile of registrars and reasons for specialisation

Introduction The shortage of general practitioners is a worldwide phenomenon and occurs in countries such as Canada; the United States of America and Saudi Arabia. Increasingly fewer students are interested in general practice as an occupation. Choosing a speciality is a complex process and is dependent on a wide range of intrinsic and extrinsic factors; including preference at the start of studies; experience during undergraduate training; and environmental factors such as cultural and socio-economic background. The aim of this study was to determine the profile of registrars at theFaculty of Health Sciences (University of the Free State); as well as their reasons for specialisation. Method All departments were contacted and the first author circulated questionnaires and informed consent forms during the academic afternoons. Questionnaires and informed consent forms were available in Afrikaans and eng. Results Of the 150 questionnaires handed out; 109 were used for analysis (122 were received; of which 13 were incomplete). Most of the respondents were Afrikaans speaking (81.7