GP training is one of the most popular pathways. In this article, we discuss how to build your portfolio, the different roles a GP can have & we detail the application process. GP training is currently a 3 year training programme but can be 4 years if you take on an academic post. This is subject to change over the next few years.
Contents
Why should you train as a GP?
Day-to-day life as a GP
General practice is an amazing specialty with great flexibility by choosing what you want to make of it. Examples including working in A&E, specialist interests, side hustles or academic work.
Clinically the work of a GP is, by its very nature, varied; even a patient with the rarest of conditions will have a GP. They have a role in diagnosis when a patient presents with a new problem and are there to manage conditions that people live with. Examples of a GP’s varied work includes diagnosing new cancers or identifying a new medical condition such as an endocrine condition, seeing patients from their neonatal life all the way through to adolescence, providing obstetric care, carry out sexual health consultations, managing long term conditions and also provide end of life care. Often as a GP, you maintain a long-term relationship with the entire family from baby to grandparents.
There aren’t many jobs where a morning’s work can have as much variation as including a baby-check for a 6-week old baby, helping a patient with depression into a gardening group, and then going to hold the hand of a palliative patient in their last moments. You cannot predict what the next person through the door will want to discuss which makes the job of a GP is very engaging and exciting.
GPs have the opportunity to think about patients’ wider health. Asking someone what would make a difference to their health may not necessarily align with their agenda; how often is a patient’s goal to take a statin?! GPs can help to manage patients’ health, in turn bringing that patient happiness.
Is being a GP lonely?
You may be thinking about whether working as a GP is lonely and whether there is any team-working involved. In fact, you will be working very closely with other healthcare professionals and this includes health-care-assistants, nurses, practice-based pharmacists, community mental health teams, social workers, health visitors, community palliative care team, addiction specialists, care navigators, physiotherapists and social prescribers… the list goes on.
Of course, there will also be other GPs working at the practice whom you can also speak to, building and developing working relationships with them.
The different types of GPs
Teaching as a GP
Another crucial role for GPs is in teaching. Every GP trainee will have a GP ‘trainer’ that you work with closely through your 3 years. You generally meet them every day and have half a day per week for 1:1 tutorials. This means that as a GP, there is the opportunity to train to be a trainer for medical students, foundation year doctors and GP trainees.
Academic GP post
There are many roles within the field of research that you can have as a GP. You may be interested in applying for an NIHR academic clinical fellowship post in which you will be spending 75% of your time in clinical work/training and 25% of your time in research/ education training. You can find out more information about this here.
GP Salary
Generally, GPs are paid per ‘session’ which lasts 4 hours and 10 minutes. Technically a full-time GP would work 9 sessions per week, though most choose to do less than this (averaging at 4 to 6 sessions per week). The average GP partner would earn £110-120,000 per year, but this will be based on the individual business. A ‘salaried’ GP generally earns £63,000-£90,000 per year. A locum GP can earn £75-100 per hour, but the competition for work can be really variable. Being a locum GP is of course the most flexible. Additionally, GPs can choose to supplement their income with work for the providers of out-of-hours services, for example, telephone consultations out of hours or doing home visits.
How to build your portfolio
Building a portfolio of evidence and publications is not necessarily required in order to become a GP. However, of course, having a good portfolio will demonstrate your abilities and will reflect well on you. If you are considering academic primary care, that does have many criteria for application.
During your training in general practice, you may choose to complete a diploma course from one of the royal colleges, such as the diploma in tropical medicine, or the diploma in family, sexual and reproductive health. These are great for any GP to build clinical confidence, but also help your CV when you’re looking for a job in your ideal practice.
How to build your portfolio whilst at medical school
Ensure you get involved with extracurricular activities to develop and build upon your skillset.
For example, you can create a GP society and run different events such as conferences and inviting GPs to come and speak about their experiences and interests. Many universities also have GP prizes that they offer, for example, essay prizes.
Whilst at medical school you can apply to present at conferences such as the RCGP Annual Conference as well as the RCGP discover GP conference. There may be an interesting case which you come across whilst on your GP placement which you can write about and present at one of these conferences. Keep an eye on the RCGP website for more information on these conferences.
The application process
Application to general practice is held nationally and is generally open between July and August each year. Following submission, all applicants need to take the ‘Multi-Speciality Recruitment Assessment’ (MSRA), which is a computer-based exam generally taken in Pearson Vue examination centres (the same places you go to complete Part 1 of a driving test).
Another benefit of general practice training is the ability to rank by the ‘vocational training scheme’ (VTS), which are the small training groups. This means you are applying for quite small geographical areas, which gives you quite a lot of choices. Each of these VTS groups is normally based around a hospital and take anything from 5-20 people per year.
There is no requirement for GPs to complete any particular departmental training, so you may go through training without having worked in paediatrics, for example. Many people are concerned with this, but remember trainees get weekly teaching sessions which cover a wide range of topics. Similarly, when you are in general practice, you will work with your GP-trainer to identify the areas you need to improve on.
Typical timeline of GP training
- It is a run-through training programme lasting 3 years (GP Specialty Training 1/2/3 or GPST1-3)
- This includes 18 months spent in GP & 18 months in hospital posts
- Rotations are usually split into 6 monthly rotations but some areas do 4 monthly
There is no requirement for GPs to complete any particular departmental training, so you may go through training without having worked in paediatrics, for example. Many people are concerned with this, but remember trainees get weekly teaching sessions which cover a wide range of topics. Similarly, when you are in general practice, you will work with your GP-trainer to identify the areas you need to improve on.
Exams
- In order to enter the GP training programme, you will likely need to complete the Multi-Specialty Recruitment Exam (MSRA). Details of the MSRA exam including the breakdown (Professional dilemmas + clinical problem solving) can be found here.
- MRCGP which you complete once you have entered into the GP training Programme. It comprises an Applied Knowledge Test (AKT), Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) and Workplace Based Assessment (WBPA). More information can be found here.
Final thoughts
If you are looking for a job that will enable you to be challenged clinically, to work flexibly and include work outside of the surgery then GP may be for you. Find what interests you and you will find a way to adapt your work as a GP to that.
Remember that different practices can work very differently, so don’t be put off by one experience that didn’t suit you during foundation year training or medical school. It’s yet another excellent thing about GP, that practices can work in so many varying ways and to a different philosophy. Taster weeks are another great way of finding out more about life as a GP.
Useful Resources
- The Royal College of General Practitioners
- Website for the national recruitment of GP training & GP recruitment HEE website
- Articles on developing a portfolio career and being a Portfolio GP
- Competition ratios
- NIHR academic clinical fellowship (ACF) posts
By Dr Karl Roberts (GP) & Dr Samsul Islam (FY1)
