In-practice education

Work-based learning in community general practice under supervision is the core of general practice training. You’ll learn what it is to be a GP, what a quality general practice looks like and you’ll gain knowledge and skills through practice.

Your teaching plan

In the first four weeks of the term your supervisor will work with you to develop a teaching plan based on your learning needs, with details of learning activities to be carried out during your placement. A teaching plan isn’t the same as the training plan, which is completed with your training coordinator and medical educator.

We encourage you to take time to think about your own personal learning requirements and needs before meeting with your supervisor. The RACGP Curriculum and syllabus is also a valuable tool for developing the teaching plan.

The plan should include a schedule that shows when the activities will take place and who is responsible for each activity. Throughout your placement, you and your supervisor should review and update the plan to ensure the in-practice teaching and learning activities are meeting your learning needs.

In-practice teaching activities

Most teaching activities will be with your supervisory team and related to your daily case load, such as one-on-one clinical case discussions and mentoring. These are important aspects of work-based learning.

Other teaching activities might include direct observation, case-based teaching, patient scenario discussions, joint consultations, formal teaching on specific topics, review of recorded consultations, discussion of a ReCEnT report, demonstration of and participation in clinical procedures, random case analyses, small group discussions and cultural education. Your supervisor will tailor teaching activities to your learning needs and the context of your training site.

There will also be the opportunity for you to learn informally through quick conversations and discussions with your supervisor team throughout your workday.

In-practice teaching time

During GPT1, 2 and 3, your supervisory team will set aside time for in-practice teaching activities:

• GPT1 – minimum 3 hours (FTE) per week of which one hour must be scheduled and uninterrupted formal in-practice teaching.

• GPT2 – minimum 1.5 hours (FTE) per week of which one hour per fortnight must be scheduled and uninterrupted formal in-practice teaching.

• GPT3 - minimum 30 minutes per week scheduled and uninterrupted formal in-practice teaching.

If you’re training part time, the scheduled and uninterrupted formal in-practice teaching in GPT1 is one hour, regardless of the total teaching time. However, in GPT2 and GPT3 in-practice teaching time is pro rata (proportional to your training hours).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health

Cultural safety training is included in mandatory workshops at the regional and local levels. You’ll have access to a cultural mentor to support your learning in this area.

Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training (ReCEnT) project

The ReCEnT project aims to document and analyse the nature of the clinical and educational content of general practice registrar consultations. It’s a training requirement and provides registrars, their supervisors and medical educators with in-depth analysis of the patients and the medical problems registrars encounter and how to treat them. Feedback reports can be discussed with your supervisor in a teaching session and/or in small group learning sessions with your medical educator. Refer to the ReCEnT webpage.