Transforming postgraduate GP teaching through collaborative course design and peer-facilitated small-group,...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• General Practice Training

Background:

• Traditional peer-delivered teaching in Vocational Training Schemes (VTS) received poor trainee feedback.
• Stakeholder engagement and small group learning are crucial for General Practitioner (GP) education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve the half-day release (HDR) program at Shropshire VTS.
• To integrate trainees' need for clinical context with the Royal College of General Practitioners' curriculum.

Main Methods:

• Introduced collaborative course design.
• Implemented reflective, case-based learning with flipped resources.
• Utilized peer-facilitated small groups for learning.

Main Results:

• The collaborative model significantly improved trainee feedback.
• Facilitated high-level small group reflection and a successful transition to virtual HDR.
• Developed motivated facilitators and a bank of clinical cases for trainee-led discussions.

Conclusions:

• The enhanced HDR model is effective and adaptable to other VTS areas.
• The model fosters leadership skills in near-peer facilitators.
• Future efforts should focus on sustaining facilitator training and quality control.