Teaching practices revisited.

Abstract

Vocational training for general practice is a statutory require? ment. The number of general practitioners appointed as trainers has increased greatly since Irvine' conducted a survey in 1970 of 190 practices in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland that were then engaged in vocational training or taught under? graduates and were considered by course organisers be suitable for vocational training. Irvine attempted to provide basic information about practices themselves, their premises, equipment, organisation, and facilities for team work in patient care, and compare them where possible with practices in British Medical Association planning unit study, which was based on a representative sample of all general practitioners.1 Trainers today are selected against seven criteria1 : a desire teach; ability teach; a readiness make time teach; clinical competence; relationships with professional colleagues and patients; experience and age; practice organisation and premises. The 13 categories of information relevant practice organisation and premises clearly derive from Irvine's study. Considerable weight is attached them because the objective is provide training experience of wide opportunities and high quality, and this may not be possible if practice premises or facilities are limited or deficient. Irvine's findings in 1970 contrasted sharply with those of 1969 planning unit study. The trainers who have been appointed since 1970 must have come at least in part from population of general practitioners sampled by planning unit. In 1981 we sought determine how teaching practices in South West Thames Regional Health Authority compared with 1970 standard setters and examine any relation between their organisation and premises and characteristics of trainers.