What does training involve?
To ensure that you become a competent, effective and confident
general practitioner of tomorrow as well as directly addressing the GP
curriculum, Deaneries will tailor your training to your individual
needs and your particular rate of progress
To become independent general practitioner in the UK, you must
undertake at least three years of GP Specialty Training (GPST),
normally including 18 months in an approved training practice with a
further 18 months in approved hospital posts. There is an increasing
number of four year options available giving extra valuable
experience. On joining a GP Specialty Training Programme you should
register with the Royal College of General Practitioners.
GP posts
All GP posts are undertaken in a wide variety of locations, and
always in an approved training practice under the supervision of a GP
trainer. Here you will receive personalised tuition from an
experienced GP who has had further training as an educationalist, as
well as other members of the Primary Health Care Team. The training
will be targeted to your identified needs.
Hospital Posts
The exact posts offered by Deaneries in their programmes vary, but
you will be offered a complete programme that complies with the
regulations set down by the Postgraduate Medical Education and
Training Board (PMETB). All posts are accredited and approved for GP
training. The specialties available include:
- general medicine
- elderly care medicine
- paediatrics, community paediatrics
- obstetrics and gynaecology
- psychiatry and old age psychiatry
- ENT
- accident and emergency
- dermatology
- ophthalmology
- palliative care
Some Deaneries have innovative programmes that combine hospital and
General Practice posts.
Assessments and Examinations
To become a General Practitioner you must possess a Certificate of
Completion of Training (CCT). During all your placements you will
complete workplace based assessments as well as preparing for the
external nMRCGP examinations – the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and
the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA). Your progress will be monitored
at least yearly by an Annual Review of Competency Progress (ARCP)
Panel. More details of the examination can be found on the RCGP
website
Educational Supervision
You will be assigned to an educational supervisor based in
General Practice throughout your time on the programme, who will help
you through the nMRCGP procedures, using an e-portfolio to do so.
Other Opportunities
Some deaneries may also offer a limited number of Academic Clinical
Fellowship programmes where time is spent on additional academic
projects or offer programmes where some time is spent abroad or
working in a particular relevant area of interest. These are subject
to availability and more information will be provided on individual
deanery web sites.
Applying
Entry into GP specialty training involves 3 stages of application:
- on-line application
- shortlisting using a written applied knowledge and situational
judgement test
- an assessment centre process.
All the stages require the applicant to meet the person
specification for GP training and the essential competencies as
outlined elsewhere on the recruitment website.
