There are a large number of policies and procedures that you will need to be aware of at different times, such as how to claim study leave expenses, how to report absence from training, what to do if you want to apply for maternity / paternity / parental / adoption leave, and so on.

Please follow this link to the Deanery info for GP Specialty trainees

For information about employment and indemnity, including the working week, please visit this page

We recognise that many of our trainees will have gained their primary medical qualification outside the UK and that while some will already have extensive experience, others may be new, or relatively new, to both the UK and the NHS.

Dr Jude Mayadunne, Plymouth’s IMG Support Fellow, has put together a really helpful handbook of info and resources – click the QR code below to go straight there

NEW – Podcasts

The Yorkshire & Humber Deanery have put together a great series of podcasts aimed at IMGs starting their GP training – click the QR codes to go straight there

About the podcasts

Intro ep

Ep 1

Ep 2

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We also recommend you take a look at this website which was developed by two Core Medical Trainees from Plymouth and has much information that will be helpful for those new to UK practice:

Road to UK

The team behind Road to UK have also produced a really helpful Guide to the NHS:

Road To UK Guide to the NHS

The majority of your learning will be self-directed. To systematically learn around subjects as you pass through your training, using effective study habits, is known to enhance your chances of success.

While pretty long, it is worth familiarising yourself with the RCGP curriculum, as well as the life stages, clinical and professional topic guides.

These set out the capabilities on which your progress will be judged and contain all the information on which your exams will be based. They have lots of useful links and further reading. The individual topic guides are an essential read before you start a new rotation and when you are revising a topic area these make a sensible first place to start.

There is good evidence that if you learn systematically throughout your training, based around these curriculum areas, you are more likely to be successful across the assessments as you progress.

The deanery has put together a programme and range of resources to support you as you prepare for AKT & SCA.

This is a highly successful, evidence-based intervention to help Doctors in Training improve communication skills, learn to “Consult like a GP” provide revision support for AKT and SCA exams, and is delivered online during the general practice stages of training to improve exam success rates. Access the information here SPEX

Ngozi, one of our 2019 ST1s, has written an article for the InnovAiT blog looking at the art of writing a reflective learning log entry. You can read it here

Thanks to Ngozi for allowing us to share it

Each year, regardless of whether they are full-time or LTFT, all trainees are required to have an Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) panel; this is the means by which doctors in training are reviewed to ensure that they are offering safe, quality patient care, and to assess their progression against standards set down in the curriculum for their training programme.

The RCGP has produced new guidance for completing QIAs & QIPs

The MRCGP exam is made up of three components:

– Applied Knowledge Test (AKT)

– Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA)

– Workplace-Based Assessments (WPBA)

You must pass all three elements to receive your Certificate Of Completion of Training (CCT).

The Deanery Professional Support and Wellbeing unit (PSW) has some really helpful study skills and exam preparation guidance which is worth being aware of, as you may find that developing your study skills adds efficiency to your learning at a time when life is otherwise busy.

The other PSW pages are worth being aware of as we can help arrange additional support for you through this route if it may be helpful. Talk to the team about this.

If you are considering taking time out of training for research, to gain additional clinical experience or training, or are considering a career break, the Peninsula OOP page will give you the information you need.

In recognition of the additional support trainees returning from a period of absence may require, the Deanery has developed a Supported Return To Training programme.

NHS England’s Workforce, Training & Education directorate is responsible for workforce planning, recruitment, and training of the whole NHS workforce, including GPs. A series of podcasts has been put together where experts in their field talk about various aspects of their work, as well as episodes on mindfulness and support for IMGs, and brings the great ACE GP Training podcast series together in one place – scan the QR code below