Belgian general practitioners on their vocational training: a postal inquiry

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• General Practice Training
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• Belgian general practitioner (GP) vocational training involves a two-year, small-group seminar program.
• Evaluating the effectiveness and impact of this training is crucial for continuous improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an instrument for the ongoing evaluation of the Belgian GP vocational training system.
• To collect data on the perceived effectiveness and quality of the training.

Main Methods:

• A postal inquiry was distributed to 177 young general practitioners.
• The inquiry included ten open-ended questions and a 50-statement rating scale (six-point Likert).
• Factor analysis was employed to identify underlying dimensions of the training's impact.

Main Results:

• A response rate of 58% was achieved.
• The training significantly influences the transition from inexperienced doctors to confident GPs.
• Factor analysis revealed three key dimensions: working climate, learning outcomes, and professional identification.
• Reliability analyses (Cronbach's alpha) for the identified scales ranged from 0.80 to 0.86.
• Mean scores across all scales were high, indicating positive participant perception.

Conclusions:

• The Belgian vocational training for general practitioners is generally accepted and appreciated by trainees.
• The training system appears effective in fostering professional development and confidence.
• Specific areas for potential improvement within the training program can be identified.