Training for general practice should be more like that for specialties

Training for general practice should be more like that for specialties

British general practice is currently suffering a recruitment problem. On p 730 Elwyn et al suggest that the current trainingand career structure for general practice are inadequate for allthat general practitioners are expected to do. They suggest thatthere should be competitive entry to general practice trainingwith entry criteria, as with other specialties. Training itselfshould be longer (three to four years, they suggest), and it shouldbe based entirely in training practices; periods of intensiveskills training could be taken in relevant hospital services,with a large element done in outpatient settings. They suggestthat rotations to non-training practices could provide seniortrainees with opportunities to manage change in less ideal circumstances.After completion of training a career in general practice should,they argue, be structured to allow professional development ineducation, research, management, and commissioning as well asclinicalwork.