Primary care career advice: a student perspective

In the UK, undergraduate curricula have evolved to include a greater proportion of community-based teaching. However, for most students it still remains predominantly a hospital-based training experience. With 50 per cent of all medical graduates in the UK now expected to work in the community, students need to be fully informed about career pathways and opportunities within primary care.

A key driver for curriculum change in the UK has been the General Medical Council's guidance in Tomorrow's Doctors, which advocates experience in a variety of health care settings together with career advice at undergraduate level. However, the existing career guidance provision may be inadequate for the current needs of students.

We explore what students are doing to combat the lack of primary care focused career guidance: from taking a year out to intercalate in primary care to setting up and running student-led primary care groups. We report on a new UK venture that we hope to launch in consultation with national primary care bodies to provide support and guidance for students considering a career in primary care.

Primary care-focused career advice should be incorporated into the undergraduate curriculum. Student-led primary care groups can offer an alternative source of support and guidance.