The Making of A Good Doctor: A Qualitative Assessment of the Views of a General Practice Manager

Abstract

‘One finger in the throat and one in the rectum’ produced a competent doctor in the 19th century but the ideal characteristics of modern doctors are not so easily defined. This topic is continually being mulled over in homes, waiting rooms, academic conferences, government think tanks and the nation's media, but determining what makes a good doctor is difficult. The General Medical Council's Good Medical Practice' lists 14 specific duties of a doctor ( Box 1 ) but in one survey, participants from 24 countries yielded 70 different responses about what makes a good doctor, ranging from the typical necessity for compassion and competence to the more unusual courage and creativity.