Doctors under pressure: An exploratory look at professional satisfaction

The British Columbia Medical Association (BCMA) is a not-for-profit organization whose stated goal is to achieve fair economic reward and maximum professional satisfaction for British Columbia physicians. It is not the intent of this paper to examine the structure, business processes, efficiency or economic prospects of the BCMA. The intent is to develop a series of suggestions that target areas of physician dissatisfaction and assist the BCMA in fulfilling its mandate. The Professional Satisfaction Index (PSI) survey instrument was developed and sent to BC physicians. The PSI survey was designed as an aid to the BCMA and is exploratory in nature. The results have not been tested for reliability and validity. While preliminary results suggest that physician dissatisfaction is real, any conclusions drawn from the survey should be judged according to its unproven status. Any use of this instrument in its current form outside its stated context is not recommended.