BMJ 1997;315:1543 (6 December)

Letters

Postgraduate education for general practitioners

Centrally funded scheme would not necessarily be better

Editor–The conclusions of the report by the West of Scotland Postgraduate Medical Education Board on general practitioners' attendances at postgraduate education activities are open to debate.1 The implied assertion that a centrally organised scheme is better than an open and free education market (working to professional standards) requires more evidence. After all, one of the most important reasons for introducing the postgraduate education allowance was to encourage personal responsibility for learning and development in general practice education and a move towards the concept of the purchaser-provider partnership.

Despite some of the limitations of the postgraduate education allowance, many exciting methods of education are now available to general practitioners. Distance based learning programmes, practice based educational activities, personal education plans, and portfolio learning now dominate continuing medical education and professional development. In addition, through the postgraduate education allowance system, skills have increased among . . . [Full text of this article]


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