Although the new changes in the health system in Turkey has resulted in positive implications with respect to the groups that use the healthcare services, it has been singled out for criticism by the professional associations because of its erosive consequences particularly for the medical profession as a whole. The purpose of this study is to explain how the health transformation policies and practices influenced the working conditions and perceptions of the resident physicians in Turkey with regard to the medical profession. A qualitative research design was employed, and the data was collected through document analysis and focus group interview. The common findings highlight that the new practices have had an aggravated effect on the working conditions of the resident physicians, which has resulted in several contentious issues. These include the increased workload, insufficient training and development, economic and social conditions and a heightened number of violent acts against physicians. Negatively, these influence the motivation of the physicians and their perception of the medical profession. This finding suggests that the medical profession is able to be studied as an appropriate case for the phenomenon of deprofessionalization. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.