Education program

Education program

Workplace-based learning in community general practice under supervision is the core of general practice training. An in-practice teaching plan is developed by supervisors with each registrar based on their learning needs and the context of the practice.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health is a core unit of the RACGP Curriculum and syllabus in which all registrars are expected to develop competence. Cultural safety training is included in workshops at the regional and local levels.

In-practice teaching

The prime teaching activity is discussion of the registrar’s cases. Case discussion allows a supervisor to deepen and extend a registrar’s learning from their clinical encounters. Registrars are encouraged to bring cases to discuss with their supervisor where they have unresolved questions. Supervisors may select registrar cases for review (random case analysis) to ensure situations where a registrar may not have been aware that they needed help are being uncovered. Supervisors may share cases of their own, particularly where they involve an area of practice a registrar is not encountering in their daily case load. Other teaching activities include direct observation of consultations, joint consultations, formal teaching on specific topics, demonstration of and participation in clinical procedures, cultural education, audits of test ordering and referrals. Workplace-based assessments are also completed during in-practice teaching time.

In-practice teaching also provides an opportunity for the supervisor to provide mentoring, support and feedback on performance.

Out-of-practice education

Registrars participate in a minimum of 125 hours of out-of-practice education, such as larger regional workshops, peer led small group learning sessions and exam preparation (refer to Table 1 in Out-of-practice time requirements).