GP registrars teaching medical students- an untapped resource?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• General Practice Training
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Recruiting teaching practices for undergraduate medical education is challenging.
• Near peer teaching is proposed as a solution to improve general practice placements.
• Health Education England & UCL implement a program for general practice (GP) training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate innovative general practice training posts in undergraduate medical education.
• Assess the impact of near peer teaching initiatives.
• Explore stakeholder perspectives on GP training innovations.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing focus groups and interviews.
• Involved GP specialty trainees, medical students, and educational stakeholders in London.
• Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews from 26 stakeholders.

Main Results:

• Students valued trainees' generalist expertise and explicit teaching of medical areas.
• Trainees employed student-centered teaching, differing from senior doctors, and offered career guidance.
• Trainees reported benefits in their development, learner/educator identity, and clinical knowledge.

Conclusions:

• Near peer teaching in general practice offers significant educational benefits for learners and teachers.
• The social context of learning strongly influences educational outcomes.
• Trainees effectively model positive career roles for students.