Hospital-based paediatric training for general practice trainees in Ireland

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• General Practice Training
• Paediatric Medicine

Background:

• Paediatric cases constitute 25% of Irish General Practice (GP) consultations.
• The 'Under 6' GP scheme increased paediatric consultations by 25%.
• GP trainees dedicate 4 months (5.7%) to paediatric rotations within their 4-year training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess trainee exposure to paediatric cases during a summer rotation.
• To determine if these cases meet current GP curriculum requirements.

Main Methods:

• A real-time observational study was conducted at Mayo University Hospital.

Main Results:

• 500 paediatric patients presented over a 7-week summer rotation.
• This represented a 45% decrease in daily clinical encounters compared to winter.
• Senior House Officer (SHO)-level doctors encountered 72% of required curriculum presentations, averaging 5.1 patients weekly.

Conclusions:

• Paediatric teaching for GPs is opportunistic, experiential, and seasonal.
• The GP curriculum may require revision for paediatrics, potentially using a modified Delphi study.
• E-learning, simulation, and audiovisual materials can enhance paediatric training without direct clinical encounters.