Registrar Year Goals
The GP Registrar year is an exciting and challenging time - it represents the transition from hospital medicine into primary care and the final part of training before certification for independent practice. During the year there are a number of compulsory hurdles which must be cleared in order to achieve satisfactory completion. However, the registrar year is about much more than this! Here are some suggested goals for the year that you may like to consider.
Professional Goals
To be able to acquire the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes to practice as a qualified GP.
This is perhaps the most fundamental purpose of the year - to transform GP trainees into independent GPs. This goal will be achieved through a variety of methods including day-to-day experience in practice, working with Out-of-Hours providers, tutorials, group discussions on the day release course and relevant educational activities, e.g. out-patient clinics.
To pass the nMRCGP examination.
This goal must be achieved in order to successfully complete the registrar year. The examination will help to identify learning needs and direct study but it should not become all-consuming. To focus solely on the examination would be to the detriment of many other important aspects of the year.
To develop an appreciation of the range and scope of general practice in the UK.
Each trainee will become familiar with their own training practice but there are opportunities to meet with others working in different environments within primary care. The Day Release Course will provide a forum for discussion about the variety of ways in which clinical care is organised and practices are managed. Take opportunities to sit in with different GPs - this may be the only chance you have to do this in your professional career. Why not consider a practice exchange?
To understand the principles of general practice management.
All GPs, whether partners or sessional GPs, will have some involvement in aspects of practice management and finance. This is often an unfamiliar area for GP trainees and the registrar year provides opportunities to acquire the necessary background knowledge.
To identify potential areas of special interest to develop further in the future.
Take note of the areas of general practice that particularly capture your interest. Maybe you find dermatology fascinating.or maybe you prefer cardiovascular medicine? Are there areas that you had not previously considered such as medicine for the homeless, sports medicine or occupational medicine? Experiences in these different fields may provide the foundation for a future special interest.
Personal Goals
To build a network of support that will remain after the training year finishes.
General practice can be stressful. The support of friends and peers will become increasingly important as you leave the relatively protected environment of the registrar year so make efforts to lay these foundations now. Many study groups formed in the registrar year go on to become the Young GP groups of the future.
To develop increased self-awareness and be able to spot early signs of stress and burnout.
The personality traits that make us good at our jobs can also predispose us to burnout. We all need a healthy self-awareness to recognise trigger factors for stress and to be able to spot the early signs of burnout. Setting up healthy patterns of work and appropriate expectations of ourselves are the keys to a happy career.
To know where to seek help.
Definitely not a case of 'physician, heal thyself'! Be aware of potential sources of help including family, peers, senior colleagues and independent organisations. Register with a GP and do not be tempted to self-treat.
To recognise the need for work-life balance and find ways of achieving this.
There is more to life than work. Cultivate your outside interests and find a comfortable balance of work and home-life. Knowing what sort of workload you are happy to accept will help when looking for partnership positions or other substantive posts in the future.
To have fun! Start as you mean to go on.
Practice Exchanges
Time spent in another practice can be a valuable experience in the registrar year. You could consider switching places with another GPR for a few days. Ideally, the practice you visit should have significant differences from your training practice. Aspects to consider include size, population demographic, style of organisation, computer system and location (e.g. urban vs. rural). There will be wide variation between the practices within the local area but if you are keen for something completely different you could look further afield (how about inner city London or rural Scotland?). Any time away from the practice will need to be negotiated with your trainer but a local exchange with another GPR would not need to be counted as study leave if you are effectively covering each other's duties.
