TY - JOUR T1 - General practice specialty training: an innovative programme JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 740 LP - 742 VL - 56 IS - 531 AU - Elaine McNaughton Y1 - 2006/10/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/56/531/740.abstract N2 - With the implementation of Modernising Medical Careers1 has come a radical change to the structure of postgraduate medical training in the UK. The first cohort of young doctors completing foundation programmes are now in their second year of foundation training and will be considering application to specialist training commencing August 2007. This major policy change took place in parallel with revision of the criteria within the regulatory framework of the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board for approval of specialist training in general practice, prompting UK deaneries to review current general practice vocational training schemes. It has been reported that around 60% of UK medical graduates have not decided their final career destination 18 months after graduation.2 Deaneries across the UK face the challenge of developing new general practice specialty training programmes, which not only fulfil the need to train doctors who are equipped with the competencies required for 21st century primary care, but also, by being attractive training programmes, encourage recruitment of high calibre doctors to general practice.Since the inception of the original vocational training regulations in 1979, GP vocational training schemes have historically consisted of 2 years at senior house officer (SHO) grade in hospital and 1 year as a GP registrar in practice. It has long been recognised that there is a need to review GP training and there is sufficient evidence to challenge the value of these traditional schemes. The position statement of council of the European Academy of Teachers in General Practice supports a unified training programme for Europe but acknowledges that the minimum training period of 3 years, as defined by Title IV of the EU Directive 93/16/EEC, is too … ER -