The clinical and educational experiences of pre-registration house officers in general practice

AIMS: To describe aspects of the clinical experience and educational supervision gained by pre-registration house officers (PRHOs) in general practice, and to relate these to the current General Medical Council (GMC) aims for general clinical training in general practice. DESIGN: Qualitative evaluation, part of which involved semistructured interviews with 12 PRHOs who were experiencing a general practice rotation. Interviews were conducted at the beginning and the end of the pre-registration year, and following return to hospital work after completion of the general practice placement. SETTINGS: Three teaching hospitals, two district general hospitals and six general practices in south-east England. PARTICIPANTS: 12 PRHOs who were involved in rotations incorporating a general practice placement. RESULTS: To varying degrees, the GMC aims for training in general practice were met for all the participants. All PRHOs recognized the value of the clinical experience and educational supervision they received in general practice. They particularly valued aspects such as having an individual training programme based on their own needs, and the interlinking of theory and practice, which aided learning. Most felt that having responsibility for their own patients acted as an important incentive for learning, and in general, PRHOs appreciated having the time to learn which general practice allowed. CONCLUSIONS: For the majority of PRHOs, the time spent in general practice was seen as a positive clinical and educational experience. In a variety of ways, the general practice placement encouraged PRHOs to develop the self-directed learning skills seen as essential to the lifelong learning advocated by the GMC. A number of recommendations are made to help improve the integration of the hospital and general practice components of these rotations.     

Making and sharing decisions about management with patients: the views and experiences of pre-registration house officers in general practice and hospital

OBJECTIVES: To explore the views and experiences of pre-registration house officers (PRHOs) in general practice and hospital settings regarding the concept of patient partnership and their experience of involving patients in management decisions. DESIGN: The 12 PRHOs who had graduated from British universities and who were working within the Yorkshire Deanery were interviewed towards the end of their four-month general practice attachments. The interviews were semi-structured and analysed qualitatively. RESULTS: Three major themes emerged. The PRHOs perceived differences in approach between consultations carried out in hospital and primary care settings, with general practitioners being more likely to share information and decisions with patients. As medical students, the PRHOs had little opportunity to practise sharing information and management decisions with patients, and variable experience of this after graduation. On the whole they were favourable to the concept of patient partnership. CONCLUSIONS: Medical students and PRHOs lack training and opportunities to decide on management and discuss this with patients and yet, particularly in general practice settings, they have to practise these skills. The PRHOs had begun to develop strategies to decide how much information to give to patients and to what extent to involve patients in management decisions. This is an area that needs further consideration when planning both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education.     

A surgical career? The views of junior women doctors

OBJECTIVE: To explore female pre-registration house officers (PRHOs) views of surgery as a possible career choice. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: In this qualitative study in-depth semistructured interviews were carried out with 15 female PRHOs. They were part of a larger sample of 24 PRHOs (15 women and nine men) who were being interviewed primarily to explore their ways of learning in both hospital and general practice settings. This paper focuses on the responses of the 15 women in relation to surgery as a possible career choice. METHODS: Interviews incorporated a checklist of topics to encourage participants to discuss their experiences of learning and working as PRHOs, including factors which had impacted on future career choices. Common themes were identified by comparing narratives. RESULTS: Only three of the 15 women PRHOs were considering a career in surgery. The importance of positive surgical placements and contact with female surgical registrars and consultants during undergraduate training was highlighted. The changing nature of the surgical PRHO job with its lack of surgical exposure was unlikely to change the future career plans of female PRHOs. Factors such as the perceived difficulties of combining a family with a surgical career and the lack of women in particular surgical specialties were of considerable concern. CONCLUSIONS: Strategies for ensuring that female medical students receive a more positive view of surgery need to be implemented. Surgical PRHO jobs should be re-evaluated to assess the surgical experience being gained by doctors, particularly in light of the reduction in junior doctors' hours. Despite policy initiatives, many newly qualified women doctors have already decided against a surgical career.     

Pre-registration rotations into general practice: the concerns of pre-registration house officers and the views of hospital consultants

AIMS: To explore the concerns of pre-registration house officers (PRHOs) and the views of hospital consultants in relation to pre-registration rotations with a general practice component. METHOD: As part of a larger qualitative study evaluating how a group of 24 PRHOs learn in hospital and primary care settings, face-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted with the PRHOs, and semistructured telephone interviews with the PRHOs' educational supervisors were carried out. RESULTS: The interviews with the PRHOs highlighted their concerns about how consultants might view PRHO rotations into general practice. However, the majority of consultants interviewed recognized and valued specific aspects of the experience to be gained by PRHOs in general practice, including the relationship between primary and secondary care; communications skills; specific clinical skills, and an understanding of the natural course of illnesses. The experience was seen as valuable for PRHOs considering either a general practice or a hospital career. Of the 17 consultants, 10 were also confident that 4-month placements in surgery and medicine would give PRHOs adequate experience in either specialty, providing the placements were sufficiently busy. CONCLUSIONS: Medical school deans and medical students considering PRHO rotations with a general practice component can be encouraged by the fact that, in this small study, the majority of hospital consultants interviewed valued the specific experience offered by these rotations, and felt that adequate medical and surgical experience could be gained in busy 4-month hospital placements.     

A study of pre-registration house officers' clinical skills

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the ability of pre-registration house officers (PRHOs) to perform basic clinical skills just prior to entering the medical register. OBJECTIVES: To find out whether PRHOs have deficiencies in basic clinical skills and to determine if the PRHOs themselves or their consultants are aware of them. METHOD: All 40 PRHOs at the Chelsea and Westminster and Whittington Hospitals were invited to undertake a 17 station OSCE of basic clinical skills. Each station was marked by one examiner completing an overall global score after completing an itemised checklist. An adequate station performance was the acquisition of a pass/borderline pass grade. Prior to the OSCE, a questionnaire was given to each PRHO asking them to rate their own abilities (on a 5-point scale) in the skills tested. A similar questionnaire was sent to the educational supervisors of each PRHO asking them to rate their house officer's ability in each of the same skills. RESULTS: Twenty-two PRHOs participated. Each PRHO failed to perform adequately a mean of 2.4 OSCE stations (SD 1.8, range 1-8). There were no significant correlations between OSCE performance and either self- or educational supervisor ratings. The supervisor felt unable to give an opinion on PRHO abilities in 18% of the skills assessed. DISCUSSION: This study suggests that PRHOs may have deficiencies in basic clinical skills at the time they enter the medical register. Neither the PRHOs themselves nor their consultants identified these deficiencies. A large regional study with sufficient power is required to explore the generalizability of these concerns in more detail.     

Identifying core skills for the medical curriculum

A survey was undertaken at the University of Sheffield Medical School to identify clinical and other professional skills which are required on graduation and to assess whether and when these skills have been acquired. The purpose of the survey was to identify core practical skills, defined as skills which the majority of clinical firms require and which, in addition, were used by the majority of Pre-registration house officers (PRHOs). The survey was conducted by questionnaires which were circulated to the following four sample groups (number in sample: % response rate): (1) consultants in clinical firms taking undergraduates and post-graduates from Sheffield Medical School (63: 75%); (2) house officers starting their pre-registration year (118: 52%); (3) house officers ending their pre-registration year (120: 43%); and (4) undergraduates starting their final year (110: 65%). The questionnaire contained a stimulus list of 31 clinical and four personal skills with an opportunity for respondents to list other skills they felt to be important. Of the 35 skills listed on the questionnaire, 26 were identified as core practical skills. Fifteen of the core skills had been acquired by the majority of students by the time they graduated, 13 of which were acquired prior to the final undergraduate year. Core skills not acquired as an undergraduate were acquired as a PRHO. The survey acted as a quality control mechanism for teaching at both undergraduate and post graduate levels and provided the basis of a medical school core of practical skills on the basic medical education continuum.     

Training, job demands and mental health of pre-registration house officers

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore pre-registration house officer (PRHO) perceptions of work role, job requirements and mental health, in order to enhance work role preparation by means of identifying potential areas for curriculum development. DESIGN: Phase 1 took place 6 weeks before completion of the pre-registration year. A total of 56 PRHOs completed questionnaires which included a diary of activities, recorded daily over a 2-week period (ward rounds, on-call, audit, administration, continuing medical education, etc.), items relating to perceived occupational control, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. In phase 2, in the final 2 weeks of the preregistration year, 36% (n=18) of phase 1 participants were randomly selected for interview. SETTING: Three hospitals in the North-west of England. RESULTS: The average working week was 56 h, with 10% working in excess of this figure. The average weekly proportion of time spent on organized continuing medical education was 5%. Routine administrative tasks took up one-fifth of PRHO time and were perceived as lacking in training or educational elements. Of the PRHOs, 52% (n=29) desired further advice/training on the technical and management aspects of the job. Additional training was required on topics such as chest drains, delegation and time management. PRHOs felt this should be given prior to commencement of the pre-registration year. In terms of mental health, 25% (n=14) were experiencing burnout. Occupational control was external; many individuals perceived events as often occurring outside individual control. CONCLUSIONS: These findings have implications for the undergraduate curriculum and support General Medical Council recommendations for curriculum reform. It is suggested that organizational skills such as managing responsibility/delegation and additional training in practical procedures should be an integral part of the medical undergraduate curriculum.     

Time to think? Questionnaire survey of pre‐registration house officers' experiences of critical appraisal in the Mersey Deanery

CONTEXT: Workload pressures may lead pre-registration house officers (PRHOs) to undervalue critical appraisal and thinking skills. This study aimed to explore Mersey Deanery PRHOs' attitudes, experiences and perceived readiness for practising evidence-based medicine with critical appraisal skills. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 157 PRHOs from 5 postgraduate centres in the UK, using a semistructured questionnaire, at the beginning and end of the pre-registration year. Main outcome measures were level of agreement with closed statements exploring experiences and opinions about critical appraisal skills and evidence-based practice. Open questions explored personal experiences. RESULTS: Most PRHOs (69%) felt medical school prepared them to use critical appraisal skills and perceived such skills as relevant (63%). Fewer felt that their clinical work was based on best available evidence (57%). The busier the PRHOs, the less likely they were to agree that their practice followed best evidence. The PRHOs were more likely to feel supported and that their practice was evidence-based at the end of the year. Responders identified several reasons for their practice not being evidence-based, including workload, lack of skills, deferring to senior colleagues, and non-conducive hospital culture. CONCLUSIONS: The nature of PRHO work still mitigates against critical thinking and appraising evidence, with a lack of protected time and perceived inconsistent support from educational supervisors. Many PRHOs rely entirely on evidence-based summaries and guidelines from others. The PRHO year is a period of crucial transition, however, and critical appraisal skills and evidence-based approaches need developing post-qualification, with sufficient protected time for their integration into practice. Foundation year reforms reinforce such requirements.     

Pre‐registration house officer rotations incorporating general practice: does the order of rotation matter?

CONTEXT: In relation to pre-registration house officer (PRHO) rotations incorporating general practice, previous research has recommended that where possible, no PRHO should undertake general practice as the first placement, because of the difficulties encountered. It was recognized that logistically, this could make such schemes almost unworkable. Within the context of a larger qualitative evaluation comparing how 24 PRHOs learned in hospital and general practice settings, the issue of rotation order was explored. METHODS: In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with the 12 PRHOs who were involved in general practice rotations. They were interviewed at the beginning and end of the PRHO year, and following their return to hospital work after the general practice placement. RESULTS: Each rotation order had both advantages and disadvantages, with no particular rotation order being obviously better or worse for the PRHOs involved. CONCLUSIONS: This small qualitative evaluation has highlighted a number of advantages and disadvantages specific to each rotation order, and makes some practical recommendations to help alleviate the problems encountered. It is important that future evaluations of similar schemes consider this issue, as there are conflicting reports about the significance of the rotation order.     

Exploring the perceived effect of an undergraduate multiprofessional educational intervention

CONTEXT: Improved teamwork and greater collaboration between professions are important factors in effective health care. These goals may be achieved by including interprofessional learning in the undergraduate medical curriculum. The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Liverpool organized a pilot two-day multiprofessional course involving all the health care related disciplines. OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the perceived effect of the multiprofessional course on the work practice of these newly qualified health care professionals. METHOD: The views of former students who took part in the pilot course were collected using a semi-structured interview schedule and analysed using a qualitative data analysis software package QSR NU*DIST. RESULTS: Two main themes emerged. These centred around role knowledge and interprofessional attitudes. Data indicated that participants perceived the course to have increased their knowledge of the other professions and that this effect had persisted. Reported benefits to their working practice included facilitating appropriate referrals, increasing professional empathy and awareness of other professionals' skills, raising confidence and heightening awareness of the holistic nature of patient treatment. Participants reported forming negative attitudes towards other professions during their undergraduate education. They believed these had been partly encouraged by course tutors. The pilot course was perceived to have had had little effect on these attitudes. Changes occurred once the newly qualified professionals started work. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the idea that interprofessional educational interventions must be tailored to specific learning goals to be implemented successfully, and that interprofessional education should be prolonged and widespread to have a real impact.     

Objectives for the undergraduate teaching of psychiatry: survey of doctors and students

OBJECTIVES: The principal aim was to assess the psychiatric topics that doctors and students considered most important for undergraduate teaching. Differences between doctors and students, men and women, physicians/students with or without an interest in psychiatry were examined. DESIGN: A mailed questionnaire was used concerning the knowledge and skills of psychological/psychiatric medi- cine considered to be needed in medical practice. SETTING: The Medical School of the University of Geneva. SUBJECTS: Doctors and undergraduate medical students in their last 2 years of medical training. RESULTS: Both doctors and students agreed on most topics, even though the students tended to give all items a higher rating. Both groups agreed on the importance of the following main topics: the doctor-patient relationship, identification and management of the principal psychiatric disorders and their associated risks and problems of a psychosocial nature. Those doctors showing an interest in psychiatry tended to accentuate the importance attached to interpersonal skills. The male and female doctors and students expressed very similar opinions. The female doctors, however, tended to attach greater importance to relational-emotional aspects and to disorders affecting children and adolescents than did their male colleagues, which is probably a reflection of the specific role that women still play within our society. When asked to assess the current teaching they received in medical school, the students considered that certain important aspects of psychiatry were insufficiently taught. CONCLUSION: These results confirm the importance of teaching psychiatry with an emphasis on problems encountered in general practice.     

Make induction day more effective – add a few problems

INTRODUCTION: Induction courses are important to introduce Pre-Registration House Officers (PRHOs) to their new place of work. Traditionally, such programmes employ lectures, small group discussion and demonstrations. They let PRHOs meet members of various hospital disciplines and services. Since 1991, an interactive induction programme has been held each August for new PRHOs in the Eastern Region of Scotland taking up posts in Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. DESIGN: Feedback from participants allows the course to be refined each year. In 1995, three paper-based patient management problems (PMPs) were included in the induction programme. Response was favourable. Most of the participants (82%) suggested the PMPs should be used again, but that more time should be allocated to enable them to tackle the problems. By August 1996, we aimed to provide a relevant and interactive programme that encouraged PRHOs to make immediate use of hospital resources. Two PMPs, in print format described likely case histories, with tasks that mirrored the junior doctors' forthcoming responsibilities. Healthcare team members and laboratory staff provided support as did study boards displaying written sheets of relevant clinical information. RESULTS: In the subsequent evaluation, the PMP component was rated highly by participants. They effectively triggered PRHOs to interact with hospital staff. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that PMPs provide a valuable learning experience for junior doctors and are a useful addition to an induction day programme. We plan to refine and increase the use of PMPs in undergraduate and postgraduate settings.     

Teaching the teachers — a needs assessment of tutors for a new clinical skills course

There is an increasing trend in undergraduate education towards teaching clinical skills from a community base. A new clinical curriculum was introduced in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1995, beginning with an integrated clinical skills course. Although the attitudes and views of general practitioners (GPs) towards community-based clinical teaching have previously been reported, their perceived training needs have not been formally identified. The aims of this study were to identify the competencies needed by GPs for community-based clinical skills teaching, to compare and contrast these needs with their hospital colleagues, and to use the results to develop a teaching programme for the clinical tutors involved in the new course. In order of priority, the GPs and hospital tutors expressed similar needs: small-group teaching skills, assessing student needs, giving effective feedback and assessment of student performance, with a preference for the teaching to be organized within local teaching units. Most GPs and hospital tutors (73 and 69%, respectively) requested a distance-learning pack to complement the teaching. General practitioners rated resources for improving their individual clinical skills more highly than their hospital colleagues: for example, videotapes demonstrating examination techniques. Forty-six per cent of GP tutors had received some formal training in teaching methods compared to 29% of hospital tutors. The implications of the results for developing a 'Teaching the Teachers' course for clinical tutors are discussed.     

The effect of an extended hospital induction on perceived confidence and assessed clinical skills of newly qualified pre-registration house officers

BACKGROUND: Recent studies raise concerns over the preparedness of newly qualified doctors for the role of the pre-registration house officer (PRHO). This study aimed to assess self-perception of preparedness, objective assessment of core clinical skills and the effect of an extended clinical induction programme prior to commencing full duties. METHODS: A group of 26 newly qualified doctors from 1 district general hospital underwent an extended 5-day, ward-based induction programme. The participants completed questionnaires on their own perceptions of their preparedness for PRHO duties and underwent an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) of 4 core clinical skills prior to induction, on completion of induction and 1 month into working life. RESULTS: At the outset PRHOs had low perceptions of their own capabilities in all clinical scenarios and skills. Most perceptions improved after induction, although in 2 clinical areas they felt even less confident. One month into post there were significant improvements in all areas. Only 1 PRHO passed all 4 clinical skills assessments at the pre-induction assessment. Seven (26%) failed on 1 or more skills at the post-induction assessment. However, all participants were deemed competent in all skills at the 1-month assessment. CONCLUSION: Newly qualified doctors do not feel prepared for PRHO duties and objectively are not competent in basic clinical skills. An extended induction improves preparedness in some but not all clinical areas and improves performance of objectively assessed clinical skills.     

Can undergraduate education have an effect on the ways in which pre‐registration house officers conceptualise communication?

AIMS: In 1994 Manchester Medical School introduced a learner-centred course using problem-based learning (PBL), which emphasises effective communication skills. This study explored how 2 cohorts of graduates conceptualised communication within their role as pre-registration house officer (PRHOs). METHODS: Graduates from the last year of the traditional and first year of the new course were interviewed 3 months after starting work. They were asked how well their courses had prepared them for working as PRHOs and were given a specific question about communication skills. Interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, coded and analysed. RESULTS: In all, 24 traditional course graduates (TCGs) and 23 new course graduates (NCGs) were interviewed. Traditional course graduates tended to conceptualise communication as informing people rather than as involving negotiation or having therapeutic effects. Most TCGs considered good communicators 'were born that way' and did not think communication skills could be learned. Many NCGs had a richer concept of communication that recognised communication has therapeutic benefits for patients and involved negotiation. They understood it was possible to teach communication skills. However, a minority of NCGs conceptualised communication in a similar way to TCGs. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that the new course has helped NCGs acquire a more complex concept of communication in their role as PRHOs.     

The parallel rural community curriculum: an integrated clinical curriculum based in rural general practice

INTRODUCTION: In an attempt to address the rural medical workforce maldistribution and the concurrent inappropriate caseload at the urban tertiary teaching hospitals, Flinders University and the Riverland Division of General Practice decided to pilot, in 1997, an entire year of undergraduate clinical curriculum in Australian rural general practice. This program is called the Parallel Rural Community Curriculum (PRCC). This paper is a discussion of the aims of the programme; student selection; practice recruitment; curriculum structure, and academic content, together with lessons learnt from the evaluation of the first cohort of students' experience of the course. METHODS: Independent external evaluators undertook a thematic analysis of a series of structured interviews of students and faculty involved in both the PRCC and the traditional curriculum. The mean examination results were determined and a rank order comparison of student academic performance was undertaken. RESULTS: The eight selected volunteer students reported greater access to patients and clinical learning opportunities than their mainstream counterparts and learned clinical decision making in the context of the whole patient, their family, and the available community resources. They identified patients with 'core' clinical conditions and had a longitudinal exposure to common diseases, whereas hospital-based peers had a cross-sectional exposure to highly filtered illness. The PRCC students' academic performance improved in comparison with that of their tertiary hospital peers' and in comparison to their own results in previous years. CONCLUSION: The PRCC curriculum has cut across the traditional clinical discipline boundaries by teaching in an integrated way in rural general practice. It has affirmed the potential role of true generalist physicians in undergraduate medical education.     

Student perceptions of a new integrated course in clinical methods for medical undergraduates

CONTEXT: In line with recent General Medical Council recommendations a new, 8-week integrated course in clinical methods has been introduced into the undergraduate curriculum at Leicester University. OBJECTIVES: To describe student perceptions of the course and to identify areas for improvement. DESIGN: A questionnaire survey. SETTINGS: These were 50 general practices, three teaching hospitals and the academic Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care. SUBJECTS: A total of 180 third- and fourth-year medical students. RESULTS: The questionnaires were completed by 93% of students. The latter expressed higher satisfaction with practice teaching compared with hospital teaching, on a 5-point scale, with regard to questions on 'teaching content' (4.0 vs. 2.7, P < 0.0001) and 'teaching process' (4.1 vs. 2.7 P < 0.0001), which was reinforced by free text comments. Of the respondents, 92% agreed that their teaching practice had satisfied the required teaching timetable and 87% of students found their departmental tutor enthusiastic and stimulating. CONCLUSION: It is possible to deliver an integrated course in clinical methods, teaching generic clinical skills, in a mix of hospital and practice settings. Nevertheless there were substantial differences in student perceptions of the relative quality and impact of teaching in the two settings. This may be related to the more detailed programme of preparation of practice teachers and the greater extent to which practice teachers were required, and able, to create protected time for the teaching task. These differences should be minimized if hospital teachers undergo similar preparation for the teaching task and have similar levels of protected teaching time.     

How consultants, hospitals, trusts and deaneries affect pre-registration house officer posts: a multilevel model

OBJECTIVE: To examine variation in reported quality and working conditions of pre-registration house officer (PRHO) posts. To use multilevel modelling to determine how much of the variation was due to the effects of consultant firms, hospitals, trusts and deaneries, as well as variation at the level of the individual doctor. DESIGN: Questionnaire survey of national sample of PRHOs at the end of the pre-registration year. Multilevel modelling was carried out using MLwiN. SETTING: PRHOs working in UK approved medical and surgical posts in NHS hospitals from August 1996 to January 1999. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand, four-hundred and thirty-five PRHOs who had previously been part of an extended cohort study of medical student selection and training. They reported on a total of 4926 posts, on 2721 identifiable consultant firms, in 336 hospitals, in 264 trusts and in 17 deaneries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PRHOs' perceptions of the overall quality of all PRHO posts they had worked in, and working conditions in the current post. RESULTS: Twenty percent of PRHO posts were described as excellent and 34% as very good, through to 6% reported as not very good, poor or bad. The overall rating of the post showed highly significant variation at the level of hospital/trust, and consultant firm. Other aspects of posts, such as working conditions showed variation at the level of deanery, trust, hospital and firms, with different patterns for the different measures. Assessments of stress in PRHOs (GHQ, burnout, response to uncertainty), and a desire to leave medicine, showed no variation at the level of deanery, trust, hospital or firm. CONCLUSION: Some aspects of a PRHO post, in particular overall rated quality, but also many aspects of working conditions, show substantial variation at the level of hospital, trust and consultant firm, suggesting that differences reflect local variation in working practices and treatment of PRHOs, with the possibility of change and improvement. The lack of any variation at the level of deanery, trust, hospital or firm in stress of PRHOs suggests that these responses are idiosyncratic, individual responses by doctors themselves, rather than a general characteristic of posts, hospitals, trusts or deaneries.     

Core undergraduate psychiatry: what do non-specialists need to know?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to define the most relevant topics for inclusion in an undergraduate psychiatric curriculum by asking non-psychiatrists what knowledge, skills and attitudes related to psychiatry they need in their day-to-day practice. METHODS: A questionnaire study involving non-psychiatric doctors (based both in hospitals and general practice) was carried out using Delphi methodology in 2 waves. In the first wave, 408 doctors described the psychiatric competencies they required in their current posts. From this, a list of 101 psychiatric topics was generated. In the second wave, 867 doctors rated these topics according to the relevance of each topic to their practice. RESULTS: Depression, alcohol misuse and drug misuse were rated as most relevant. General practitioners found more topics relevant to their practice than did hospital doctors, and there were disparities in the relative importance that the 2 groups gave to topics. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a systematic method for developing core curricular undergraduate learning objectives in a specialty area by asking doctors outside that specialty to identify topics that are relevant to their practice. Similar methods could be used for a range of specialties other than psychiatry and could provide a rational and transparent means of developing a core curriculum for medical students, when combined with perspectives from other sources.     

Basic clinical skills: don't leave teaching to the teaching hospitals

OBJECTIVE: To compare student perception of teaching in general practice (GP), district general hospitals (DGHs) and teaching hospitals (THs) and their examination results. SETTING: The medical school at Queen's University, Belfast. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 161 medical and 34 dental students completed an objective structured clinical examination and questionnaire at the end of their second semester of basic skills teaching. They scored the course for teaching style, educational value and enjoyment. Teaching attributes of the tutors were similarly recorded. Students were also asked to quantify how time was used and to comment on the course. INTERVENTIONS: A new programme for teaching first- and second-year students basic clinical skills in the community. RESULTS: Teaching in GP and DGHs was reported to be more educational and enjoyable than in the TH. In GP most time was spent being lectured, in DGHs most time was spent with the patient, and in THs, waiting for the tutor. General practitioners and doctors in DGHs were more likely to model positive teaching attitudes such as showing interest in students and providing feedback. The most common complaints related to insufficient time spent with patients in GP and poor tutor preparation in THs. All teaching sites achieved similar examination results. CONCLUSION: Clinical skills can be taught to medical students early in their curriculum using GP tutors. Student preference was strongly for being taught by GPs rather than in THs. Simple steps such as prior preparation and the locating of a suitable patient could markedly improve student experience both in GP and in hospitals.