Value-adding in the rural training stream: a release program for hospital-based rural training stream registrars

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• General Practice Training

Background:

• The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) established a Rural Training Stream.
• Hospital-based General Practitioner (GP) registrars in their first year required a structured release program.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and evaluation of a 1995 pilot release program for Year I hospital-based GP registrars.
• To outline the subsequent 1996 program.

Main Methods:

• Program development in 1995.
• Description of program content, organization, and evaluation.
• Documentation of the evolved 1996 program.

Main Results:

• A pilot release program was successfully developed and implemented in 1995.
• The program provided a foundation for the 1996 iteration.

Conclusions:

• The 1995 pilot program provided a valuable framework for GP registrar training.
• The program's structure and evaluation informed future iterations.