Medicine on the margins. An innovative GP training programme prepares GPs for work with underserved communities

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• General Practice Training

Background:

• Underserved populations face significant health disparities and reduced access to healthcare.
• There is a notable deficit of general practitioners (GPs) serving marginalized communities.
• GPs often practice in the regions where they complete their training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and evaluate the North Dublin City General Practitioner Training Programme (NDCGP).
• To assess the program's effectiveness in preparing doctors to work with underserved populations.

Main Methods:

• A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to all NDCGP graduates from 2013-2017.
• The study achieved an 88% response rate, with 37 graduates completing the survey.

Main Results:

• 97% of respondents were working in deprived areas or serving marginalized groups.
• 97% intended to continue serving these communities long-term.
• Training enhanced knowledge, skills, confidence, and empathy, while decreasing prejudice towards underserved patients.

Conclusions:

• The NDCGP effectively met its objectives of training GPs for underserved populations.
• The program demonstrated success in increasing graduates' commitment to serving deprived communities.
• Replication of this training model is recommended for other regions.