General practice tasters for foundation doctors

Background: General practice (GP) is currently not viewed positively as a career choice, compared with other specialties, with GP training programmes struggling to fill posts. Opportunities to change this mindset in the early years of training are limited. Trainees may find themselves applying for entry into GP specialty training just 3–4 months after completing Foundation Year 1 (FY1), yet there are few GP attachments during FY1 that can provide experience of primary care and positively inform career choice. Context: To help ameliorate the current crisis in GP, recruitment and retention initiatives are needed to provide relevant experience of GP early in medical careers so that more doctors can make an informed decision to choose GP as a career. Innovation: FY1 doctors have been given the opportunity to shadow final-year GP specialty trainees (GPST3) in clinical practice (for between 3 and 5 days). The voluntary scheme has run successfully since 2014. This paper describes the taster programme and its evaluation. The programme has been positively received by both FY1s and GPST3 mentors. The GPST3s are enthusiastic about GP, which appeared to ‘rub off’ on the FY1s. FY1s find it helpful to have a trainee's perspective, gaining an overview of what to expect, including the opportunities available to them. General practice is currently not viewed positively as a career choice. Implications: Using GPST3 trainees as mentors for FY1 doctors is educational for both groups and can have a positive impact on GP recruitment. The taster demonstrated how varied GP is, and challenged some negative perceptions of primary care. GPST3s gained confidence in their knowledge about GP and greater insight into educational roles.