By the time you come to your GP Registrar year your skills and knowledge base should be well developed and you will be well prepared for the variety and uncertainty of general practice.  Your GP trainer will be your guide and mentor throughout this year although your GPTP Course Organiser will also be available to help with issues of concern.

The GP Trainers are each appointed and regularly assessed in depth by the London Deanery.  The Bromley Trainers Workshop meets at least four times a year to improve their educational skills, discuss new developments in GP training etc.  Apart from your own GP trainer you will meet other trainers during the year and visiting different practices is encouraged.

Your trainer will organise an individually tailored programme starting with an induction period when you meet the various members of the primary care team at work e.g. Community Midwife, Community Psychiatric Nurse, District Nurses, Pharmacists and the practice team. 

Initially you will be closely supervised and given long appointment times but as you gain confidence and demonstrate competence (when you view your videoed consultations with your trainer during your weekly tutorial time) your appointments will become shorter and you will begin your on-call responsibilities.

You are expected to gain experience of the Primary Care Trust Out of Hours (EMDOC) service. You will need your OOH’s supervisor to sign your Learning Records from these monthly sessions, to enable your trainer to sign your VTR1 at the end of the year.

Your weekly timetable will include a free time half day, a half day for self directed learning activities (discuss how to use this time to best advantage with your trainer) and of course the Half Day Release Course on Wednesday afternoons at the Farnborough Education Centre.

During the year you will have a formative review at four months when you invite a visiting trainer to review your progress with your trainer. This review was pioneered by the Bromley Trainers’ Workshop.  Your activities and skills will be reviewed and helpful advice in writing given about how to best use the remaining eight months.  At eleven months you will have an appraisal to prepare you for the annual appraisal that all GPs are expected to undertake.

You will also be helped to understand management issues in the changing scene of British General Practice.  The training practices vary in size, population mix, partner profiles and priorities, premises, computerisation etc so the exact arrangements for the GPR vary.  You are advised strongly to visit any practices you are considering selecting and meet the trainer and current GPR.