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Background: Implementation of the Regular General Practitioner (RGP) Scheme in Norway in June 2001, had as a goal to ensure regular access to a predefined local GP for all patients and hence improve continuity. The RGP Scheme is a contractual system; patients can only be listed with one GP at a time, but can change doctor at their own will twice a year without stating reasons for doing so. Study goals were to determine whether and how patient lists have changed with respect to gender and age since implementation of the RPG Scheme., Material and Methods: Data from June 2001 to December 2004 were retrieved from The National Insurance Administration and Statistics Norway. GP patient lists in Oslo and Norway, for female and male doctors, were examined with respect to shifts in patient age and gender., Results: There was a clear tendency for women (25-49 years) and children (0-11 years) to aggregate on female GP lists, and for men (25-49 years) and elderly of both sexes to aggregate on male GP lists., Interpretation: Two thirds of the GPs in Oslo and half of those in Norway had open lists. This made it easier for patients in Oslo to change and find a doctor of their choice. The situation in Oslo illustrates how patient age and gender may typically be distributed on lists for male and female GPs in times with good GP coverage.

Background: Previous reports have demonstrated variable and partly insufficient skills in standard practical procedures among young doctors who have served their internship. The present study examines the development of interns' self-reported level of skills in practical procedures during internship in general practice in relation to quantity and quality of supervision, gender and the size of the community they served in., Material and Methods: Between 1996 and 1999, all doctors going through internships in Norway were asked to indicate their level of skills in 88 practical clinical procedures before and after internship in general practice. Of 575 interns asked, 439 replied (76 %)., Results: All interns reported a significant overall improvement in self-reported practical skills during internship in general practice. Supervision and feedback was also significantly better in general practice than in internships in hospital., Interpretation: The quality of the general practice internship in Norway is superior to the quality of hospital training. Supervision and feedback is a standard part of the education of general practitioners and represents a valuable tradition. A combination of internship in hospitals and in general practice is necessary for acquiring adequate skills in practical procedures.

Background: The medical curriculum of the University of Trondheim was recently changed from a traditional (2.5 years preclinical studies followed by 3.5 years clinical studies) to an integrated, problem-based approach. This study examines self-reported levels of skills in practical procedures before and after internship among doctors educated under the old vs. the new curriculum., Materials and Methods: Between 1996-99 (old curriculum) and 1999-2001 (new curriculum) all doctors who had graduated from the University of Trondheim were asked to indicate their level of skills in 88 practical clinical procedures before and after their hospital internships., Results: Of the 174 interns included, 114 replied on both occasions (66%). Before internship, graduates with the new curriculum reported a significant better level of skills than those with the old curriculum. After internship, however, no difference according to curriculum could be observed. The gender difference in the self-reports from students under the old curriculum was absent., Interpretation: The new problem-based curriculum seems to have improved the practical level of skills prior to internship. This difference does, however, disappear after hospital internship.