GP Trainees experience of learning opportunities and support mechanisms on the GP training programme: a qualitative...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• General Practice Training
• Postgraduate Medical Education

Background:

• General Practice (GP) is vital to the NHS, facing persistent workload and workforce challenges.
• Effective GP training is essential for developing independent practitioners and addressing workforce issues.
• Limited research exists on the postgraduate training experiences of GP trainees.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore GP trainees' learning opportunities during their three-year vocational training.
• To investigate the support systems available to GP trainees in the Southampton GP Education Unit.
• To understand factors influencing the training experience of General Practice trainees.

Main Methods:

• Conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with GP trainees from four cohorts (December 2016-2018).
• Interviews were conducted via telephone, lasting 30-60 minutes, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim.
• Utilized inductive thematic analysis to analyze the transcribed interview data.

Main Results:

• Two primary themes emerged: 'Developing clinical competence' and 'Sources of support'.
• Trainees identified the development of relevant General Practice competencies as a key training objective.
• Busier hospital rotations with reduced formal teaching time were perceived negatively; trainers and peers were key support sources.

Conclusions:

• The development of clinical competence and access to support are critical for GP trainees.
• Optimizing learning opportunities within hospital rotations and strengthening support networks are important.
• Further research should aim to include trainees experiencing difficulties to gain a comprehensive understanding.