A house officer in general practice: a different experience

This paper describes a single house officer's attachment in general practice, organized in a particular way and with specified aims. The attachment required careful planning and case-by-case supervision of the houseman. However, the extra clinical burden on the supervisor was not excessive. The attachment provided experience similar in some ways to hospital posts, but was broader in general clinical content and emphasized the continuity between primary and secondary care. Many of the important experiences could only be obtained in an attachment which involves responsibility inside and outside the hospital at the same time. We believe such attachments are a unique educational opportunity and should be strongly encouraged.