Oncology as part of the vocational training of general practitioners in The Netherlands

In 1986 an educational program in Oncology for General Practitioners was developed at the University of Amsterdam. This program will be implemented within the general practitioners' vocational training. In this program the various goals of the general practitioner have been categorized: prevention; diagnosis by the general practitioner; diagnosis by the specialist; therapy; and guidance and care. All these goals have been further subdivided in more concrete skills to give form to the various aspects of the task of the general practitioner. These skills have been related to the different types of cancer. A number of related skills will be illustrated in the program for a specific type of tumor. Hence, a so-called basic educational program is formed. The various basic educational programs, in which different types of tumors are used for illustration, consist of program-units of 90 minutes. Relevant aspects of specific types of malignancy, which are not dealt with in the basic educational program, will be added to the basic educational program as supplements.