Transitions in general practice training: quantifying epidemiological variation in trainees' experiences and clinical...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• General Practice Training
• Vocational Training

Background:

• Australian General Practice training utilizes an apprenticeship model.
• Supervisors support General Practice trainees transitioning to independent practice.
• Optimal timing and methods for trainee support require further understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze variations in clinical and educational experiences of General Practice trainees.
• To examine consultation behaviors and practice locations by training stage.
• To test the hypothesis that changes are more significant in earlier training phases.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of the Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training (ReCEnT) study data (2010-2018).
• Involved 2,416 Australian General Practice registrars and 321,414 patient consultations.
• Multinomial logistic regression assessed factors associated with training terms.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in clinical and educational factors were observed between training terms.
• Odds ratios were considerably greater for comparisons involving Term 1 and Term 3 versus Term 2 and Term 3.
• Key variables included chronic disease management, new patients, information seeking, and practice setting.

Conclusions:

• Demographic, clinical, and educational differences are most pronounced early in General Practice registrar training.
• Findings have implications for resource allocation, supervision, and curriculum development.
• Sociocultural learning theory can inform support strategies for trainees and supervisors.