TY - JOUR T1 - Near peer teaching in general practice JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 12 LP - 13 DO - 10.3399/bjgp19X700361 VL - 69 IS - 678 AU - Harish Thampy AU - Hugh Alberti AU - Liza Kirtchuk AU - Joe Rosenthal Y1 - 2019/01/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/69/678/12.abstract N2 - The need for clinical training placements in general practice is quietly spiralling. One reason for this is growth in medical student numbers, but experience in general practice is also increasingly regarded as central to the educational needs of other healthcare trainees, including nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, and, more recently, physician associates. This demand is partly driven by changing patterns of patient care, but also by growing recognition of general practice as an ideal environment for learning, among other things, clinical skills, the generalist approach, and the value of longitudinal patient care. Such recognition is both welcome and overdue, but inevitably stretches capacity in a service already under significant pressure, and many practices may feel unwilling or unable to take on expanded teaching and training roles.Part of the answer to this paradox may be staring us in the face. GP trainees represent a large, well-placed, but under-utilised educational resource. They can make valuable contributions as ‘near peer teachers’, particularly in the context of undergraduate medical education. Engaging their potential in this way could not only help meet teaching capacity, but also encourage and prepare the clinical educators of tomorrow. Yet despite the development of teaching skills forming an expected outcome in the Royal College of General Practitioners training curriculum, it appears that GP trainees are currently much less engaged with teaching activities than their hospital trainee peers.1GP trainees are enthusiastic to gain experience of teaching prior to completion of training, yet are not often provided with the training or opportunities to do so. Studies suggest that around 60% of GP trainees are involved in some teaching, and 90% desire further … ER -