Annual Report - Adelaide to Outback GP Training Program

Education
Key Result Area 2
Sustainable Community Benefits
AOGP has an over-subscription of
applicants for rural and urban pathway GP
training.
AOGP has a sufficient and stable number
of high quality training posts across its rural
and urban region.
Sustainable Community Benefits –
Rural
AOGP is recruiting and retaining GP
registrars entering the rural training
pathway to its rural regions.
Key Objective #3
Building sustainable supervisory
infrastructure and educational capacity.
GP Training - summary
The Medical Education Team, together
with other AOGP teams, continue to build
on an already established high quality of
training through challenging ourselves
to continuously do better. 2010 saw
AOGP involve 122 Registrars across
various levels of training, including a good
proportion of Registrars being assisted
to complete extended or advanced skills
training. AOGP had the only ACRRM
Registrar throughout Australia doing
advanced skills training in surgery.
Registrar feedback in 2010 confirmed
that overall they felt confident that they
could apply the knowledge and skills
learnt in out-of practice training back into
their practice context.
This year also saw the largest ever
group of Registrars sitting the FRACGP
exam, with 96% success. It was also
marked by an increasing number of
AOGP Registrars preparing to sit the
FACRRM exam. This expected increase
has initiated a review of the structure of
our exam support program, which we
expect to conclude in 2011. The intent
of the review is to determine whether
our support program addresses both
college/s’ exam preparation requirements,
and if not, identify the gaps and address
these appropriately. AOGP’s Formative
Assessment Framework and out-ofpractice
education activities have been
reviewed and newly reconciled to both
the RACGP and ACRRM curricula. As
part of this review it was discovered that
the professional and ethical domains
were sparsely assessed. On this basis
in 2010, it was determined that this
finding could be redressed through the
use of the Multi-Source Feedback—an
ACRRM assessment tool—for second
term community Registrars. A pilot
was commenced, with a view to this
information contributing to the assessment
of Registrars against these domains. The
revised Formative Assessment Framework
also saw the pilot introduction of a formal
mid-training review for Registrars. This
has allowed for a timely stock-take of
the Registrars’ progress, the provision
of appropriate feedback and the offer of
provisions to facilitate further progress
prior to their formal entry into senior levels
of training. It also provides training advice
and planning toward their future training,
exam preparation and/or extended
learning support, as required.
In 2010 the findings from the formal review
of AOGP’s evaluation methodology were
implemented. There were two goals for
this review: one, was to streamline the
feedback gathering and measurement
process; and two, determine the
information required to assist AOGP to
target its training activity and ensure a
quality training experience. Both were met.
One of the enhancements in the newly
revised evaluation process included the
introduction of the ‘Turning Point Response
Card’, as an electronic evaluation tool.
This expedited the process of feedback
collection – whilst providing immediate
collation and feedback of findings. The core
stakeholders have positively critiqued the
new process and the new electronic tool.
Adding Value to rural South
Australia—through education
AOGP Registrars provide a significant
boost to primary care clinical services—
whilst undertaking their GP Training—
across urban, outer-metro, rural and
remote communities within our region.
Specifically in 2010 with regard to rural
regions, 31 Registrars trained across 22
rural teaching practices in the first half of
the year and 27 Registrars trained across
20 rural teaching practices in the second
half of the year.
The pilot virtual study group for rural
based registrars in 2009, translated
in 2010 into an ongoing educational
activity. It continues to prove to be both
an invaluable exam preparatory activity as
well as provide regular peer support and
interaction for Registrars placed across
the more remote parts of the AOGP. Two
AOGP rural based Supervisors continue
to take on a shared expert facilitator role
for this group.
In 2010, AOGP continued its support
of Registrars’ interest in various subspeciality
areas. Fourteen Registrars
pursued enhanced training in a wide
range of areas (eg ATSI mental health).
A further seven completed advanced
specialised training in obstetrics, surgery,
palliative care or anaesthetics. Three
registrars were undertaking a formal
Academic Skills Training post, benefitting
from collaborative research partnerships
with Universities.
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