Curriculum
The new Curriculum framework
The framework used for the development of the NEW Curriculum consists of three interrelated dimensions (each will be discussed in turn):
- The Five Domains of General Practice AND
- The learning life cycle of a general practitioner
- The context of general practice
1. The Five Domains of General Practice
The five domains collectively reflect the critical areas of general practice, and are relevant to every general patient consultation. They encompass the knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate for competent unsupervised general practice. It is envisaged that all teaching and supervision will actively address each domain right across the educational learning life of a general practitioner. These domains also form the basis of the RACGP professional development program for GPs.
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Domain 1 - Communication
skills and the patient-doctor relationship for example: communication skills; patient centredness; health promotion; whole person care; |
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Domain 2 - Applied
professional knowledge and skills for example: physical examination and procedural skills; medical conditions; decision-making; |
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Domain 3 - Population health
and the context of general practice for example: epidemiology; public health; prevention; family influence on health; resources. |
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Domain 4 - Professional and
ethical role for example: duty of care; standards; self-appraisal; teacher role; research; self care; networks; |
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Domain 5 - Organisational and
legal dimensions for example: information technology; records; reporting; confidentiality; practice management |
2. The learning life cycle of a general practitioner
In general, to become a general practitioner, the first step involves being a medical student, then becoming a prevocational doctor, followed by vocational general practice training and beyond to ongoing professional development.
Over a general practitioner’s professional lifetime, each level of learning builds upon the previous learning level, so that each learning level assumes that the requirements for the previous learning level have been met.
In reality, the path is continuous rather than discrete steps. Most learning levels will overlap to some extent.
The curriculum requirements must be met at each level to ensure that minimum core competencies are reached at each stage of the learning lifecycle.
Examining the steps to becoming a general practitioner qualified for unsupervised practice in Australia helps define training needs at each stage of the path to becoming a competent general practitioner.
A uniform general practice curriculum from the earliest stage of medical education prior to vocational training helps the diverse range of trainers to ensure that a solid foundation for general practice training has been established prior to entering vocational training.
In Australia, the stages of the general practitioner’s learning life have been identified as the:
- Medical student - A university student who is enrolled in a primary medical degree and will undertake a general practice placement
- Prevocational - Junior doctors who are undertaking hospital training, but have not yet enrolled in a speciality training program
- Vocational -:
- a vocational general practitioner is defined as a registered medical practitioner who has completed a general practice training program approved by the RACGP and has achieved Fellowship of the RACGP.
- a vocational general practice registrar is defined as a registered medical practitioner who is enrolled in a general practice training program approved by the RACGP to achieve Fellowship of the RACGP
- Continuing professional development – ongoing professional development inunsupervised general practice (i.e. A GP who has reached Fellowship status)
These stages reflect the journey of general practice, professionally and educationally.
The current review of the curriculum aims to broaden the value of the curriculum to all parts of general practice. Each of the 27 curriculum content areas will be reviewed in relation to each of the four stages of a General Practitioners’ professional lifespan.
3. The context of general practice
The third dimension to this curriculum framework lies in the clinical context in to which the knowledge and skills detailed in the Domains are applied. General practitioners can encounter a wide variety of clinical presentations, which individually vary according to social, demographic, cultural and epidemiological circumstances. Often, however, these circumstances can combine to form local practice characteristics, regional clinical trends, or national characteristics. In areas such as Rural General Practice and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, these contextual influences are so well understood, documented and of national prevalence that they command comprehensive application of the domains of general practice throughout the learning life cycle to the identifiable range of clinical contexts they subtend.
