Professional development for general practitioners through fellowship by assessment

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• General Practice
• Professional Development

Background:

• The Royal College of General Practitioners' Fellowship by Assessment (FBA) aims to enhance care standards and challenge General Practitioners (GPs).
• Despite increasing uptake, research on GP motivations and barriers for FBA is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate General Practitioners' (GPs) experiences and perspectives regarding the Fellowship by Assessment (FBA) programme.
• To understand the motivations and potential barriers GPs face when considering or undertaking FBA.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study involving 13 General Practitioners (GPs) who had achieved Fellowship by Assessment (FBA).
• Participants were purposefully selected from Tamar and Severn Faculties, representing diverse practice types and demographics.
• In-depth interviews were analyzed using grounded theory.

Main Results:

• Fellowship by Assessment (FBA) is recognized for acknowledging high standards of care and empowering doctors by boosting confidence.
• Views on FBA varied, from valuing it as a professional award to seeing it as a tool for structuring and monitoring practice improvements.
• FBA is perceived as a valuable but time-intensive professional development pathway.

Conclusions:

• Fellowship by Assessment (FBA) positively impacts patient care and GP confidence.
• The study supports encouraging FBA participation among General Practitioners (GPs).
• There is a clear need for improved support systems to assist doctors undertaking this professional development.