Specialty Training in General Practice 2013

Doctors working in General Practice enjoy problem-solving with their patients, combining evidence-based medicine, wide ranging clinical skills and compassion to care for the individual. They provide a holistic approach aimed at managing risk and dealing with uncertainty and complexity. Read a trainee's view of working in General Practice.

One of the great things about working in general practice is career flexibility. In recent years there has been a trend for many general practitioners to develop special interests in certain areas. The level at which GPs operate can vary too—working at a practice, taking referrals from local practices, working for a primary care organization, in a hospital setting or even at a regional or national level. If you have a burning ambition to be involved in a particular clinical topic then you may be able to plan for this during your training but for most this will develop outside of the training programme.

All general practitioners of the future will need to be generalists, clinicians, team players, life-long learners and managers (at least of themselves). Some will need to provide leadership for the larger and more complex primary care organizations that are beginning to emerge. Good communication skills and the formation of professional doctor-patient relationships will continue to be crucial to General Practice.

General Practice needs doctors who are ready to undertake this challenge. Applications for GP Specialty Training are welcomed from all levels including:

• Doctors who are just completing F2 training

• Doctors already in Specialty Training in another specialty post but beginning to realise that they would prefer to deliver care closer to the patient

• Doctors already qualified in another specialty but looking for a change of career

Selection into GP Specialty Training in 2013 is by a national recruitment process. You are only required to submit one application for GP training programmes across the UK. Applications open on Monday 12 November 2012 and close on Friday 7th December 2012. Applications will only be accepted through the GP online system via the GP National Recruitment Office web site – www.gprecruitment.org.uk

Specialty Training in General Practice 2013

Links