GP specialty training: a European perspective

In 1998 the World Health Organization (WHO), after consultations with academic institutions for general practice and UEMO (the umbrella organisation for all European unions of GPs), published a document entitled: Framework for Professional and Administrative Development of General Practice/Family Medicine in Europe.1 The document describes the core characteristics of general practice and the structural conditions that must be met if politicians, as recommended, should support a strong primary care sector with general practice as the cornerstone. The most important part of the document is the recommendation of a specific educational curriculum in primary care at all educational levels.

In 2000, an editorial in the BMJ followed this by questioning whether it is time for a new definition of general practice.2 The new association of all academic colleges and societies for general practice in Europe took on the task: Wonca Europe, which was founded in 1995 after the political reunification of Europe.

In 2002, this academic society published The European Definition of General Practice/Family Medicine.3 The purpose was to make the definition the cornerstone in the development of an agenda for research, teaching, and quality development in the three Wonca Europe networks and in the member countries.

In 2005, the European Academy of Teachers in General Practice (EURACT) drew up an educational agenda describing how the core competences should be addressed in the curriculum in all countries.4 The EURACT educational agenda is intended for teachers, learners, curriculum planners, healthcare planners, and the whole medical profession. It focuses on GP specialty training, but is also intended as a guide for student training and continuing professional development for GPs.

Through the curriculum statement …