06.08.20
Over 10,000 aspiring medics sign up for virtual GP work experience
In the first three months of offering their free, virtual and interactive general practice work experience platform, the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) has received more than 10,000 registrations.
Having launched their interactive Observe GP video platform during the coronavirus pandemic, the College aims to help aspiring medics aged 16 and above to learn more about general practice.
The technology was initially developed with the goal of providing an innovative way for students to shadow the primary care team, with the technology allowing RCGP to offer them an insight of what it is like to work in general practice from their homes while the country remained in lockdown.
The more than 10,000 registered aspiring medics can access a series of pre-recorded videos and take part in activities to gain an understanding of primary care, as they would during a traditional work experience placement in a GP surgery.
New videos and additional content will be added to the platform in the future to reflect the evolving general practice landscape.
Each year, UK medical schools receive approximately 20,000 applications. As part of the process, students are expected to demonstrate the understanding of the realities of medicine, often through clinical work experience. However, many can often find it difficult to secure placements due to the intense workload pressures on GPs and their teams.
As such, more than half of UK medical schools have already endorse the RCGP virtual work experience platform.
READ MORE: RCGP survey data gives snapshot into how GP care is being accessed
READ MORE: RCGP calls for less arduous regulation, more trust in GPs
It forms part of the College’s wider ‘Discover General Practice’ programme, which aims to explore the opportunities associated with a career in general practice.
Professor Martin Marshall, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: "Many aspiring doctors will have watched with admiration as GPs and colleagues across the NHS have gone above and beyond throughout the Covid-19 pandemic – it’s important we engage with those students to highlight general practice as a viable career option, and Observe GP has been an excellent vehicle for doing so.
"Ten thousand registrations in four months is incredibly encouraging for the future of our profession, particularly when you consider that UK medical schools receive around 20,000 applicants each school year. This level of engagement reflects that a significant number of aspiring medics are interested in general practice and for good reason - being a GP can be the best job in the world.
"Observe GP can be used at any time by any one so the limitations of traditional work experience such as schedule clashes and social inequalities are eliminated.
"Covid-19 has also presented as a challenge for many students who planned to use their summer holidays to gain relevant work experience but we hope that initiatives, such as GP Observe will prove useful in providing an alternative for bright aspiring medics at a time when we’re all working differently."